Shôjo Fukuzai
by Mrs. Nozomu Sohma
Summary: AU [NO CURSE] When Tohru Honda's mother is murdered and she is next on the hit list, she is sent to the Sohma Academy by her mother's family. But there's one catch: they're expecting a boy... [slight Yukiru]
1. A Murder and a Death Threat

_Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket._

* * *

**Shôjo Fukuzai**

**Chapter 1: Satsujin to DESU SURETTO**

Kyoko Honda sighed a bit as she glanced over at the modestly sized plastic black clock that adorned the far wall of her kitchen. Fighting the urge to sigh again, she walked down the hall to her daughter's bedroom and knocked rather loudly on the door. She called, "Tohru! You need to get up now if you don't want to be late for school!"

Before she could utter another word, a brown blur flew past her and made a mad dash for the kitchen. Smirking a bit to herself, Kyoko shook her head as she started back toward the kitchen as well. No matter how old her daughter got, Tohru was still Tohru: the same sweet, slightly clumsy girl she had always been. Though she was usually able to wake up without a problem, she occasionally needed a wakeup call.

As she reached the kitchen, she saw the girl already seated at the table and quickly gobbling down mouthfuls of rice and eggs. Tohru paused when she noticed her mother, swallowed the mushy contents of her mouth, and smiled sheepishly as she squeaked, "Morning, Mom…"

Kyoko smiled to herself as she thought, _Never change, Tohru-chan._

The orange-haired woman then seated herself at the table and said, "Good morning, Tohru-chan. Up late again studying?"

Tohru's smile grew more eased as she nodded. "Yeah. Today we're supposed to have a mock test. Then Hana-chan, Uo-chan, and I are going to go shopping after school. Is that okay, Mom?" Her expression grew worried; she had been so excited about the plans she'd made with her friends that she had forgotten to ask her mother if she could go.

Kyoko gave her daughter an amused look and nodded her assent. "Of course you can go. Uo-chan and Hana-chan will take good care of you!"

Her daughter blushed as she protested, "Mo-om!"

The woman chuckled at the girl's reaction. Even though she tended to tease her daughter for being a bit dependent and dense—and others often seemed to believe she was as such—she knew that Tohru, though a bit absentminded at times, was far more capable than she appeared. Kyoko sometimes wondered if it wasn't to the girl's advantage that people believed she was more clueless than she was in reality; it lowered their expectations and made her less noticeable.

_That can be a very good thing sometimes,_ she thought wryly. _Especially when you consider my past, and how it could affect her…_

"Are you going to be working late again tonight?" asked Tohru in an attempt to both change the subject and fish for information. She knew that her mother worked hard as part of the janitorial staff at a large law firm to make sure that they could eek out some sort of existence, a job that often kept her out late.

The mother gazed at her blue-eyed daughter as she thought before shaking her head. "Not tonight. Would you like to go out to eat?"

The girl smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "Sure. Could we get katsudon?"

Kyoko responded in kind. "Of course."

The two women chattered a bit as they finished breakfast before both went to get ready for the day. As Tohru finished zipping up the blue jacket of her Kaibara High School uniform, she smiled a bit thinking of how nice it would be to go out and eat with her mother. Kyoko was stuck working late more often than not, even on Saturday nights; only about once or twice a month did they have the opportunity to eat out.

_Not that we could afford to go out to eat very often anyway,_ thought the brown-haired girl sadly. Her smile drooped a bit as she pulled some of her hair back with a blue ribbon that matched her uniform. _Grandpa's offered to let us borrow money if we need it, but Mom won't hear of it. She always says she would hate to live off charity and wants to pay her own way. Especially since she used to rely on her own family so much._

Tohru had always known that her mother had cut herself off from her family not long after she'd met Katsuya Honda and decided to clean up her act, so that she would be more acceptable to his family. While her grandfather, Akitoki, had always accepted Kyoko at face value, her father's sister, Minako, had never been able to see past her gangster history. That was one of the reasons Tohru knew next to nothing about her aunt and her two cousins, as all contact with her father's family—save her grandfather—had been severed. Because of this, both mother and daughter had learned to rely more on friends than family.

_There,_ she thought as she finished doing her hair, admiring her handiwork for a moment. That was about all the time she had, because she soon glanced at her clock and realized how late it was getting. Gasping, she grabbed her backpack and raced for the door. Pausing only to slip on her shoes, she called out, "I'm going to school now, Mom! Take care!"

Kyoko smiled to herself as she called back, "Have a good day, Tohru-chan!"

Tohru raced down the stairs of the apartment building that she and her mother lived in—on the twelfth floor, no less—and panted hard as she went. Once she reached the ground floor, she sprinted all the way to school. After making a quick stop at her shoe locker to change out of her street shoes and slip on her school ones, she finished her mad dash by slipping into her desk and collapsing onto it in a boneless heap.

None to her surprise, she heard a soft chuckle from beside her desk, one that was exceedingly familiar. Stifling a groan, she slowly turned to gaze at her two best friends: Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima. She smiled weakly, still breathing heavily. "Hi, Uo-chan, Hana-chan."

"Morning, Tohru," greeted Arisa cheerfully, wearing a smirk on her face. "What's the matter? Up too late last night?"

"Our precious Tohru-kun had a late start this morning," said Saki in a voice that would have been inflectionless to any bystanders; however, those who knew her best were able to detect the concern that laced her words. Only the subtlest nuances of worry visible on her face, she quietly asked, "Were you up studying for the mock test last night?"

"I was," admitted the brown-haired girl, shamefaced. "I know it's stupid, but I'm afraid I won't pass the real one if I don't do well on the mock test!"

"Don't sell yourself short!" ordered her blond friend. Her dark sapphire eyes sharp, she added, "You're a lot smarter than people give you credit for!"

"Indeed. It would be hard for you to do worse on your tests than me. My brain is so malformed that I cannot comprehend the information and fail all of my tests," the black-haired girl intoned solemnly. "I am so stupid I must always retake my tests…"

Arisa rolled her eyes. "Give it up, Hanajima. We all know that you just bomb the first tests because retakes are always easier."

For a moment, Saki smiled surreptitiously as she replied, "I'll never tell."

Tohru giggled a bit despite herself. Well, at least seeing her friends arguing (even if Arisa was only nitpicking) took her mind off the mock test and alleviated some of the stress. Her relief was short-lived, though.

A few moments later, her homeroom teacher walked in. A tall man with graying black hair, he smiled at them all and cheerfully greeted, "Good morning, class."

"Good morning, Yamagi-sensei," returned the class unenthusiastically. It was one of the few Saturdays that they were required to come to school and no one was especially happy to be there.

Sighing, Yamagi rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Look, I know you'd all prefer to be doing something else, but what can I do?"

"You _could_ let us out early," suggested Hirotaka Umeda from the back of the room, leaning against the wall. A couple of his cronies snickered.

"You're right, Umeda, I could," agreed Yamagi readily. "But then I would lose my job—and you would just have to come back _next_ Saturday." As a few people groaned, the teacher nodded to himself. "That's what I thought. Okay, everyone, take your seats so that we can begin the mock exam."

* * *

After the mock test, Tohru and her friends took their bento boxes and headed to the park so that they could eat before they went shopping. The first place they headed after lunch was a small New Age shop; Saki said that she wanted to buy a book on curses for her little brother, Megumi, so that he could improve his techniques. Tohru remained silent while Arisa commented, "Your family has the weirdest hobbies, Hanajima." 

"On the contrary," Saki deadpanned as she leafed through a book that had caught her interest. "Megumi can use these skills to his advantage someday. You never know when such talent will be in demand."

"Oh, yeah. _Everybody_ wants to employ somebody who can 'curse' their enemies," muttered Arisa under her breath. She slowly sauntered over to another counter—away from the books on witchcraft and "curse-craft," as Saki had often described her brother's technique—where a number of luck charms were stored, marveling at how stupid people had to be if they thought these things would bring them good fortune.

Tohru might have stayed to wait as her dark-haired friend picked out a book for her younger brother, but seeing Saki so engrossed in the reading material made her think twice about it. When she was absorbed in something, there was no telling _when_ the violet-eyed girl would surface. Instead, she decided to follow her blond friend's lead: find something else that caught her interest.

As she looked at some of the charms situated in one of the displays, she wondered what they could possibly be for. She assumed that they were all charms for good luck, but she wasn't entirely sure. One charm in particular caught her eye, and she picked it up to carefully examine it when suddenly a voice behind her said, "Ah! You're interested in a love charm, are you?"

The brunette almost jumped out of her skin and whirled around, her expression one of pure shock. She could hear her heart beating in her ears as she stammered, "W-what!"

The person behind her was a young woman in her early twenties, wearing classical Goth clothing, complete with fishnet stockings, a spiked choker, and clothing only in the darkest shades of black and scarlet. Her dark brown hair had dark purple streaks that complimented her vivid green eyes that were delineated by eyeliner and sat below pierced eyebrows. Tohru's tension rose as the woman smiled a bit and explained, "You're looking at the love charms, so I just assumed…"

_Love charms! _"Erk!" Tohru immediately dropped the trinket as if it had burned her, her face bright cherry-red as she hurried over to where Arisa was standing. She could almost feel the heat radiating from her face as her heart pounded even harder. Groaning a bit, she massaged her temples. _They don't look anything like the love charms they sell at the shrines!_

Arisa raised an eyebrow as she saw her friend's humiliated expression. "What's the matter with you, Tohru?"

"Eh?" The brown-haired girl looked up somewhat hesitantly. Then she laughed nervously and shook her head. "It was nothing! The salesgirl, she…surprised me…"

"Hmm?" The blond glanced over at the young woman who had returned to her place behind the cash register. Smirking a bit she nodded to herself. "Yoshiko? She's harmless!"

"You know her, Uo-chan?" wondered Tohru in surprise.

"Yeah, she lives in the same building as me and my old man," Arisa told her with a slight smile. "I didn't know she worked in this place, though."

The two teens headed over to the register so that Arisa could chat with her neighbor for a few minutes. While they were in deep conversation, Saki appeared out of nowhere and announced she was ready to make her purchase, serving to scare Yoshiko in the same way she had Tohru. After ringing up the book, the Gothic woman said she wanted to know the black-haired girl's secret for sneaking up on people; the answer was simple: "I was born with the gift."

With the necessary text in their possession, the trio continued their excursion with a few hours of window shopping before winding down the afternoon with a light snack and spirited game of Rich Man, Poor Man at Saki's house. It was a little past five o'clock before Tohru realized she should probably be getting home.

"I really need to go," said Tohru as she began to slip her shoes on at the door. "Mom said that we could go out to eat tonight, and she'll start to worry if I'm late."

"Wow, must be a real celebration," Arisa said with a smirk. "What're you guys going to be having?"

Tohru grinned as she started to tie her shoelaces. "Katsudon."

"Your favorite," added the blond, smirk widening.

Saki, however, was not sharing in their pleasant mood. She had been getting bad vibes about Tohru leaving all afternoon, one of the reasons she had attempted to keep her best friend with her for as long as possible. Quietly, she intoned, "Perhaps you should call Kyoko-san and ask if you may stay here for a little while longer, Tohru-kun. I'm sure that my mother would be willing to let you stay as long as you like."

Tohru frowned deeply, wondering what could possibly be troubling her friend. _Why does she want me to stay here? Does she think something bad is going to happen?_ "That's okay, Hana-chan. I'm really looking forward to dinner with Mom."

"I sense that something terrible has happened," the violet-eyed girl warned her with a solemn look. "Please, take care of yourself, Tohru-kun…"

The brunette felt chills race down her spine at her best friend's words. _Her predictions are almost never wrong… What if Hana-chan's right? What if something terrible has happened? Is Mom all right?_

"I have to go home!" Tohru fumbled with her laces as she managed to finish tying them, but her fingers trembled slightly as she reached for the doorknob. _I have to make sure that nothing happened to Mom!_

Seeing the trepidation in the brunette's teal-blue eyes, Arisa rose to her feet and walked toward the door as well. "Hey, wait up. I'll walk with you. Make sure that nothing bad _has_ happened."

Saki watched somberly as her two best friends started to head out the door. Just before the door latched shut, she murmured, "Be careful…" Closing her eyes, she hoped that—for once—her presentiments were wrong.

* * *

All the time Tohru and Arisa were walking to Tohru's apartment building, the brunette was praying that Saki had been wrong in her forecast. _Hana-chan was wrong for once—nothing bad happened at all. Mom will be just coming in, or she'll be a little upset that I wasn't in by five. I won't complain at all, even if she yells at me. Oh, God… Please let Mom be okay!_

She was so deep in thought that when Arisa suddenly put a hand on her arm, she almost felt her hair stand on end. The blond gazed at her worriedly. "Hey, don't be so paranoid. I just thought you might want to know that we're here so that you didn't walk into the door."

"R-right," said the brunette nervously. "Sorry…"

Tohru slowly pulled off her backpack and fumbled around in it until she found her key ring. Her fingers shook as she held them and tried to grasp the right one. For some reason, they all looked the same, even though she well knew that no two were alike. Breathing erratically, she finally selected the correct key and started to aim it at the lock; her fingers were trembling so much that the other keys jingled as she tried to thrust it forward, missing her target twice.

After her third miss, the lighter-haired girl found herself growing agitated. She sighed in disgust before she snatched the key ring from her friend's hand. "Gimme those and lemme try!"

Arisa knew that Tohru was scared out of her mind, as anyone who knew Saki and received a dire prediction would be. She also knew that her friend was stalling, perhaps with the thought that if she never opened the door, she would never have to find out if their mutual raven-haired friend had been right about something terrible happening. Though Arisa no more wanted to face the idea that Kyoko was in trouble or hurt than Tohru, she had never been able to stand still when the possibility was at hand; when she had to confront a potentially bad situation, she always rushed headlong into it, so that it caused only minimal pain.

Despite her resolve, though, the blond girl's fingers trembled slightly as she drove the key into the lock and turned it. Neither of the girls heard the tumblers tumble or the bolt slide out of place; the door was already unlocked—a very bad sign, as Kyoko had always been strict about making sure the door was locked. Swallowing hard, Arisa felt her hands shake even harder as she fumbled with the door handle.

For Tohru, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. The time it took for the door to open after the blond unlatched it was nothing if not a short eternity, the sound of the hinges squeaking a deafening noise that would have driven her insane if she had to listen to it any longer. Even after the door had swung open time continued to drag on.

The girls exchanged a long look before Arisa slowly gave a nod. Tohru gingerly stepped into the apartment first, with her friend only a few steps behind. Swallowing the huge lump that had formed in her throat, she weakly called out, "M-Mom?"

"Kyoko-san?" Arisa's voice was much more powerful, almost causing the brunette to jump out of her skin at the volume.

Panic beginning to rise as the deafening silence continued to hang heavy in the air, Tohru hastened her steps but each one still seemed to take forever. Her breathing shallow, she called, "Mom? Where are you! Answer me, Mom!"

Arisa could hear the fear as Tohru's panicked voice began to get stronger, more strained. She watched as her best friend began to race for the kitchen of the apartment, still calling for her mother. Sighing, she opened her mouth to tell Tohru to calm down when she heard the other girl's voice give a strangled, bone-chilling shriek: _"MOM!"_

"Tohru!" Arisa sprinted to the kitchen. She was about to ask her friend what was wrong, but stopped herself as she skidded to a stop on the freshly scrubbed linoleum, eyes wide. What she saw made her blood run cold.

Tohru had dashed into the kitchen because she somehow felt that was the room her mother would most likely be in. When she'd entered to see the scenario before her, all of the blood drained from her face and time seemed to screech to a halt. There, lying on the floor in a prostrate position, was her mother. She'd screamed as she fell to her knees and searched for any sign of life in the woman.

The blond girl had entered the room and found her in such a state, but she couldn't have cared less; the only thing that seemed to matter was that her mother could still be alive. Arisa's eyes widened in horror as she watched her best friend shaking her mother's lifeless body in an attempt to revive her, heedless of the fact that the woman's neck had the beginnings of bruises in the shape of fingerprints and was bent too far to one side—_probably broken,_ she realized grimly. She felt bile rising in her throat but was able to swallow it, sending it back down into her stomach that was already churning at the sickening sight.

"T-Tohru…" whispered the blond thickly. "Tohru, don't—"

"I have to keep trying, Uo-chan!" interrupted the brunette in a tremulous tone. "If I keep trying, she'll see that I haven't given up on her! I have to…to…" Her voice broke.

"Tohru…she's…gone," Arisa told her gently. "Kyoko-san is dead."

Tohru's entire body shook as she tried to find something to contradict her friend's words, evidence to prove her faith was not unfounded. With a sharp intake of breath, she met her mother's open eyes set into a face that was frozen in an expression of terror. They stared up at the ceiling blankly, glazed and clouded…lifeless. She wasn't even blinking, the girl realized in horror.

"M-Mom…?" she whispered brokenly. The pinpricks of forthcoming tears stung the back of her eyes as she finally recognized that there was no way she could revive her mother—not now, not ever. Closing her eyes against the onslaught of saline liquid, she murmured, "She's gone…and she's…never…coming _back!"_ The end was a keening wail emitted as she launched herself at her mother's still chest.

Arisa was at a loss, not knowing what she could possibly say to her best friend as she cried against Kyoko's dead body. She felt so helpless and her mind was completely blank. Gently, she reached out and pulled Tohru into her arms, away from the corpse; without meaning to, three little words slipped past her lips: "It'll be okay." Even to her own ears it sounded utterly pathetic and stupid, but it was all she could say, over and over again.

A short while later, a loud voice penetrated the cacophony created by Tohru's soft sobs and Arisa's crooned mantra as a man at the door called out, "Honda-san? Is everything all right?" It was Akio Ichigo, the neighbor from across the hall; he had often gone out of his way to look out for Kyoko and her daughter.

Swallowing hard, the brunette called back, "I-Ichigo-san?"

"Tohru-san?" Akio slowly entered the apartment and stepped into the kitchen. "What is…?" he started, but cut himself off as he caught sight of Kyoko's body and the two girls clutching each other. All color leaving his face, he started for his apartment and said, "I'll call an ambulance!"

_Doesn't he realize it's too late, that an ambulance can't help Mom anymore?_ wondered Tohru dimly, tears still trickling down her cheeks. _Doesn't he realize she's already…dead?_

"C'mon, Tohru," murmured the blond quietly as she stood up, attempting to pull the other girl with her. "Let's go…sit in the living room…"

Shaking her head, the brunette gazed at Kyoko's body and muttered, "In a minute, Uo-chan. First I have to…"

"All right…" Arisa slowly went into the living room, leaving Tohru alone to stare at her mother.

Reaching out with trembling fingers, Tohru swallowed her heart that seemed to be in her throat and slowly forced her mother's eyelids shut. Biting back a sob as she cast one last mournful look at Kyoko's still form, she stood and prepared to follow the blond. However, she stopped short when she noticed something sticking out of one of the cabinets, a piece of stray paper.

Frowning, she stepped closer as she reached out and tugged it free. As she caught sight of what was written on it, her eyes widened in terror. In a small voice, she read it aloud, "'The Red Butterfly is dead. One remains, then the line ends'…?"


	2. Goodbye Girl, Hello Boy

Author's Note: Thanks to **HolySorceress** and **kitsunedemon** for being my first reviewers; you actually gave me some courage to post the next chapter (I was so afraid nobody would review!).

To anyone reading: you might want to check the summary again—there are a few minor changes.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters_.

* * *

**Shôjo Fukuzai**

**Chapter 2: Sayonara, Shôjo – Konnichiwa, Shônen**

Though time had seemed to grind to a halt when Tohru saw her mother's dead body lying on the kitchen floor of their apartment, its speed returned with a vengeance soon after. Everything from the time she found the note—a death threat—until she arrived at the police station where her grandfather was waiting was little more than a blur.

A stout police detective, Kazuo Orimoto, sat across the desk from her, a sympathetic expression on his face as he quietly told her, "I realize this must be very difficult for you, Honda-san, but I'm going to have to ask you a couple of questions, all right?"

This girl nodded dumbly. There was really little else she could do, as it seemed that all of her thought processes had been frozen, shut down entirely despite the fact that time had sped up. Her head was swimming and it was all she could do to keep herself afloat.

"At what time did you enter your apartment?" the detective wanted to know.

Tohru struggled to remember. It had been about ten after five when she left Saki's with Arisa, and it took about twenty minutes to walk to her apartment when she hurried, which meant it would have been somewhere around five thirty when they arrived. Shaking her head, she dully reported, "Sometime around five thirty, I think. I didn't really check my watch."

"I understand," he assured her, scribbling on his notepad. "Were you with anyone at the time?"

"Uo-chan," she answered automatically. Then she amended, "Arisa Uotani."

"Did you have any reason to believe that something was amiss when you arrived at the apartment?" asked Detective Orimoto, gazing at her intently.

The girl knew very well that she couldn't tell him about Saki's dire prediction, as that might make her sound like a raving lunatic (even if it _was_ true). Instead, she opted for a half-truth: "I had a bad feeling, but I wasn't sure until we got there. When we tried to unlock the door, it was already open."

He gave her an unreadable expression so she added, "Mom always made sure the apartment door was locked, even when we were home. I think she was afraid someone might try to hurt us."

Orimoto wrote something down. Then he asked, "Why would somebody want to hurt you, Honda-san? Do you have any idea? Any at all?"

The girl hesitated, uncertain of how she could answer his question. She had a hunch that it had something to do with Kyoko's past as a gang member, but how could she really explain _that?_ As it was, she only knew the barest facts about it, and that her mother's gang name had been the "Red Butterfly." That had been a lifetime ago, though; why would someone have gone through all the trouble to track her down to kill her and threaten her family?

"Honda-san?" prompted the detective.

Lowering her gaze, she murmured, "She was once a member of a gang."

Much to her surprise, Detective Orimoto didn't seem shocked in the least. Instead, his expression was merely solemn as he asked, "Did your mother ever tell you anything about her gang days, Honda-san? Anything at all? The gang's name, or even her own nickname?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Tohru shook her head. "No. Mom never really went into detail. She didn't like to talk about it—it brought back too many bad memories for her. She worked hard to start over with a clean slate; I don't think she would've done anything to dredge up the past."

Orimoto jotted on his small notepad again. Then he stopped and gazed at the girl carefully, scrutinizing her. "Has anyone ever done anything to threaten you before now, Honda-san? Has anyone ever tried to approach you with malicious intentions before?"

"No, never," replied the girl easily. At least _that_ was true enough.

He looked skeptical at best. Sighing, he slowly said, "Your mother's maiden name was Sohma, wasn't it, Honda-san?"

Tohru inhaled sharply. _How could he know that? Have they already been going over her records?_ Slowly, she nodded. "Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

Detective Orimoto sighed again, rubbing his temple with two fingers in a clockwise motion. "Honda-san, have you ever heard of a gang called the Jūni?"

Of course she had heard of the Jūni—the Twelve. It was famed for being one of the most vicious yakuza groups in all of Japan. They were supposedly hired out to the highest bidder to do whatever dirty deeds they were contracted for. However, she failed to see the connection between the Jūni and her mother's maiden name.

"Sure. Why?" she asked warily.

He gave her a long, considerate look. "The Jūni all come from the same family: the Sohmas—your mother's family, Honda-san."

Tohru shook her head in disbelief. "B-but… Sohma is such a common name! There are probably thousands of Sohmas in Japan! How can you say that—"

"Your mother's birth record lists her parents as Matsuo and Suzume Sohma—both of the same stock as the family who produces all of the Jūni members," the detective interrupted.

The girl gazed at him incredulously. "Are you saying that you believe my mother was a member of the Jūni?"

Orimoto leveled a gaze at her before shaking his head. "No, but we have reason to believe she may have been affiliated with one of the lesser known gangs backed by the Sohma family. It is entirely possible that one of her former targets—or their family—decided to get revenge for some action against them."

Tohru felt whatever parts of her brain that _had_ been working go numb to the world at the knowledge that her mother had belonged to a crime family. _No wonder Mom dropped all contact with her family when she met Dad. She didn't want to be involved with their illicit activities anymore. But what kind of things did she do that could make someone want to kill her?_

Though her interview with Detective Orimoto continued for at least another hour, she couldn't even remember half of what had been said. She wasn't even fully aware until she realized that her grandfather had entered the office and was asking the detective about taking measure to ensure her safety from the person who would undoubtedly come after her next. When Orimoto told them that the best they could possibly do at the moment would be to keep her under constant surveillance, Akitoki was less than satisfied with the answer and flatly declined the offer.

"I apologize if our methods displease you, Honda-san," Detective Orimoto addressed Tohru's grandfather. "But I would feel better if we could keep an eye on your granddaughter nevertheless."

Akitoki gave the younger man a rare cold glare. Then he rose to his feet and replied, "If you cannot do anything besides sit by and watch as my granddaughter is murdered, I would very much appreciate it if you kept your nose out of our business, Orimoto-keibu. I will handle matters myself."

The detective had the courtesy to look put off. "What are you planning to do, Honda-san? You cannot possibly mean to say that _you_ could keep a better eye on your granddaughter than the police department."

He was favored with another wintry gaze from the elderly man as he cryptically said, "I shall employ my own 'methods' to ensure her protection." His expression and tone softened as he turned to the girl and told her, "Come, Tohru-san. It's late and we should be going."

She slowly complied with his instructions, mechanically following him out of the police station. When they stepped onto the street, she realized that it was much later—or rather, _earlier_ than she'd first thought; it was already early Sunday morning, and the nightlife was beginning to dwindle. She thought it was odd how easily she could forget about the passage of time—at least for a couple of hours.

As her apartment would likely still be under investigation as a crime scene it had been decided that Tohru would stay with her grandfather for the time being. They arrived at the house sometime after five and Akitoki immediately made sure that she was put to bed. Despite protests that she wouldn't even be able to think about sleep, it wasn't long before she drifted off from pure exhaustion.

_You've suffered so much so quickly, Tohru-san,_ thought her grandfather as he watched her sleep. Smiling sadly, he decided, _I have to start making preparations tomorrow. I may not be able to bring Kyoko-san back, but hopefully I can protect her daughter…_

* * *

The next day passed in a haze with a visit from Saki and Arisa expressing their condolences and worries for her safety, but she assured them she was fine. Just the same, Sunday night proved to be excruciatingly long, and she and her grandfather spent talked late into the night. He told her that she wouldn't have to go back to school on Monday, so she could sleep as late as she wanted. 

Despite these reassurances, it was only a few hours after she feel asleep that Tohru awoke from a fitful slumber. Groaning, she rolled over in bed to look at her clock—only to find that it was missing. She sat up with a gasp as she realized that she wasn't even in her own room. _Where am I!_

Then she recognized the locale as a room she was familiar with, one in her grandfather's house. Reality set in as she made the connection and tears began to form in her eyes. Choking back a sob she realized, _It wasn't a dream after all…_

For some reason, it almost hurt more to think of her mother's death now than it did when she sat and touched the corpse's cold flesh two days earlier. Swallowing the huge lump that had become all but omnipresent in her throat, she slowly crawled out of the bed and made it.

She glanced down at her pajamas as she contemplated getting dressed and remembered that they were clothes lent to her by her grandfather; because Akitoki's house was rather unoccupied, his daughter saw fit to use it as storage for—among other things—her children's old clothes. If she recalled correctly, these had to be Saburo's clothes; they were far too boyish to belong to Harumi, who couldn't stand the thought of even wearing pants.

Though she'd never met her cousins, her grandfather had told her enough stories so that she thought she could gauge their personalities. At nineteen, Saburo was a computer whiz who fainted at the sight of blood, yet wanted to join the police force and be a forensic pathologist; and seventeen-year-old Harumi wanted nothing more than to marry her boyfriend, Renzo Ishikawa, right out of high school and start a family even though she hated doing housework and disliked children. All in all, Tohru was amazed by the expectations her cousins had of their lives.

_I guess I'll have to wear my uniform like I did yesterday,_ she thought dully as she looked around the room for it. Much to her surprise, it wasn't there. Instead, she found what looked like more of Saburo's clothes: a short-sleeved blue shirt and a pair of khaki cargo pants. Though she felt a bit strange about wearing boys' clothes, she decided that it was perhaps for the best; she didn't really think she'd want to be caught walking around in one of Harumi's super-frilly dresses that were almost always festooned with lace.

After a quick shower, she dressed herself and headed for the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. Though she flinched a bit as she entered, the similar appliances reminding her briefly of two nights ago, she quickly plastered on a smile as she said, "Good morning, Grandpa!"

To her amazement, her grandfather already had breakfast waiting for her. He smiled warmly as he gestured to the table laden with rice, eggs, tea, and pickles. "Good morning, Tohru-san. Please, sit down and eat."

"T-thank you," she stammered before she sat down and gazed at the food thoughtfully. It all looked so good. As she stared at it, her stomach loudly reminded her that she hadn't eaten anything since lunch the day before. Flushing a bit, she muttered her thanks for the meal before sticking a pickle in her mouth.

Akitoki chuckled. "I'm glad you like it."

Watching as she hurriedly ate, he couldn't help but think of how empty her eyes had looked even as she'd forced a smile; it reminded him so much of the way Kyoko had acted after Katsuya's death. The cheerful demeanor she'd adopted for the sake of her three-year-old daughter hadn't really served as a suitable cover up for her grief. And since Kyoko had never really mourned her husband's passing, she had never been able to quite get over it; he could only hope that his granddaughter wouldn't follow her mother's lead.

"You didn't sleep very long," he commented before taking a sip of tea.

He saw her eyes darken. "I couldn't really sleep. Not with everything that's happened…"

"It will get better," he told her matter-of-factly. "Take one day at a time and you will see. That's what I told Kyoko-san after your father's death."

Tohru gazed at the elderly man thoughtfully, nodding her understanding. She had really been too young to remember much about her father or his passing; the only thing she could recollect was going to the hospital to visit him. He'd been in a coma at the time, after suffering from a deadly case of pneumonia. She could also recall holding his hand, and the fact that it had been strangely cold; her mother had told her that meant he'd given up and needed to rest.

It had been something that puzzled her at the time, as from her perspective he'd been "resting" for a long time already and should have been ready to wake up. Then her mother had told her to say goodbye to her father. Smiling at him, she'd waved and cheerily told him, "Bye-bye, Daddy!" Only later did she come to understand that he would not be coming back.

The memories of her mother at the time were also a bit fuzzy, but she couldn't recall ever seeing Kyoko do anything besides smile. Just the same, she had always been able to tell, somehow, that her mother had never been as happy or content as she'd made herself seem. Frowning a bit to herself, Tohru wondered why she was only just thinking of this.

"Eat up, Tohru-san," Akitoki instructed when he noticed the faraway look in her eyes. She snapped back as he added, "We have much to do today."

"Eh?" She stared at him in surprise. Hadn't he said she wouldn't have to go to school…? When he offered no further explanation, she did as she was told and ate the breakfast laid out for her.

When she had finished feasting, her grandfather allowed her to do the dishes while he went off and searched for something. Upon his return, he found her drying the last dish and promptly handed her something. "Go and put your hair in a bun under this, Tohru-san."

Her eyes widened in surprise as she took the proffered item. It was a worn red baseball cap—a boy's cap. "But why, Grandpa?"

Akitoki merely smiled. "We have a few errands to run. Hurry now."

Still a bit perplexed by the request, she reluctantly obeyed. Gazing at her reflection in the mirror as she pulled the cap on over the tight bun she'd made, she frowned contemplatively. She thought that, if not for her feminine curves (slight as they were), someone might have easily mistaken her for a young boy. _Is Grandpa deliberately trying to make me look like a boy?_

She might have pondered this mystery longer, but she quickly dismissed the theory. He would _never_ do that—would he?

It continued to nag at her as she and her grandfather walked through the city and stopped briefly in the park. They sat on a bench in silence for a few minutes before Akitoki slowly said, "I've contacted your mother's family about her death."

She drew in a sharp breath and gazed at him in surprise. "But why?"

He smiled at his granddaughter sadly. "Every parent deserves to hear about their child's death, Tohru-san."

_I suppose that's true,_ she thought, feeling an ache in her chest at the thought of her mother's death. Tamping down on it, she asked, "What did they say?"

Akitoki reflected for a moment before he told her, "They were very sad, but decided to take care of all the arrangements for her funeral." He cast a glance at her before adding, "They were also very concerned when I mentioned that you were in danger and have offered to take you in—for your own protection."

Tohru stared at him in disbelief. "What!"

His eyes plead for her understanding. "Tohru-san, I can't protect you myself, as Orimoto-san so helpfully pointed out. I am too old to compete with a murderer. Matsuo Sohma-san and his family have agreed to help keep you safe because you are his grandchild and he does not wish any harm to come to you. Would you wish to endanger yourself simply because you wouldn't accept their offer of asylum?"

The girl looked away as she considered his words. Though she knew that he was right—that accepting her mother's parents' offer would keep her safer than staying with Akitoki—it somehow seemed…wrong. Even if Matsuo and Suzume were willing to forego their daughter alienating herself to protect their granddaughter, surely they must have done _something_ to warrant her mother leaving. After all, Kyoko wasn't… hadn't been…the sort of person to rashly do things without good reason.

However, they _had_ promised to take care of her… Sighing as she realized how limited her options were, she turned to her grandfather and mumbled, "All right, Grandpa."

The elderly man smiled to himself. "I'm glad. But there's one other thing." He gazed ahead while she stared at him curiously. "They think you're a boy."

"_Huh!"_ For the second time since the beginning of the conversation, she stared at her grandfather in shock. "W-why would they think _that!"_

"Because I told them," he answered. He turned to her yet again with another look that begged for consideration. "Tohru-san, the person who murdered Kyoko-san wishes to kill her _daughter;_ if you go to stay with her family as your mother's _son_, it is less likely that they will be able to find you. You wouldn't wish your mother to suffer even in death because no one was able to protect you, right?"

The idea that she could make people believe she was a boy struck Tohru as just plain crazy. She'd been teased mercilessly as a child because she wasn't particularly strong or brave, causing her to stick out even amongst other little girls like a sore thumb—or an onigiri in a fruits basket, however it pleased one to think of it. Despite this, she had an inkling that her grandfather might have been right. The killer would be looking for a girl, not a boy…but would she be able to pull it off?

"What would I have to do?" she asked hesitantly. "Do I need to change my name?"

Akitoki shook his head and patted her arm. "Nothing quite that drastic. Besides, your name is a fairly common boy's name. However, there _are_ a few things we must take care of…"

And so began the morning of Akitoki and Tohru's errands. Their first stop, none too surprisingly, was a small barbershop where her grandfather usually got his hair trimmed. The barber, a friendly young man called Motoki, was a bit stupefied by the request for a short boyish haircut for a girl, as he'd rarely ever cut the hair of the fairer sex, but complied just the same. When he had finished, Tohru gazed at her new hairdo in the mirror with some semblance of disappointment.

It was dramatically shorter, trimmed to only a few inches from her head instead of the three or so feet of hair she was used to. She knew boys at school who had longer hair than she did. Her first thought was: _Hana-chan will be mad. She loves to play with my hair…_

After her haircut, Tohru and her grandfather continued on their way. They made a quick stop for Akitoki to pick up her school transcripts so that they could send them along to the Sohma family for them to use at whatever school they would be sending her to (and so that he could forge a couple of things). It wasn't long before they were finished and they returned to her grandfather's house for lunch.

When they finished eating, Akitoki went to complete some other errands and told her to take care of herself while he was gone. It should have felt like a reprieve from insanity for the girl, but instead she found herself drowning in a sea of depression. Without her grandfather's quirky plot racing through her head, her thoughts almost automatically returned to the awful nightmare her life had descended into with her mother's death.

Running her fingers through her short hair as she felt tears prickle her eyes, she thought, _Maybe I'm just dreaming all of this. Maybe I fell asleep at Hana-chan's house and nobody woke me up. Or maybe I'm sleeping at school. Umeda-san and his friends always sleep through Iseki-sensei's class—maybe I am, too. If this is a dream, somebody, wake me up!_

But she knew that nobody was going to wake her up—because it wasn't a dream. As she felt tears streaming down her cheeks, she knew that it was real. Her mother was dead and Tohru's waking nightmare had only just begun.


	3. Meeting Sohma Relatives in Person

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update. I was hoping to get the next chapter written before I posted this, but I hit a bad patch of writer's block. I'm halfway there, though, so with luck I'll have the next one finished soon.

Sorry if I scared anybody away with the summary mention of the possible relationship between Yuki and Tohru. I enjoy reading a good romance, but I cannot write one for the life of me—in past attempts, the romance seems either too forced or too vague (that's why the summary says **possible** Yukiru and the story isn't in the Romance genre). The pairing will probably be only hinted at unless I can come up with something plausible.

Thanks to those of you who reviewed and thought this story was worth reading. And special thanks to **RandomReader, Lucinda the Maid, **and **florescentpinkfairies **for taking the time to review. I hope this lives up to your expectations.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters. I own only the non-canon characters nobody recognizes._

* * *

**Shôjo Fukuzai**

**Chapter 3: Ichizoku no Sohma Keigainisesshite **

Tohru wasn't sure how, but somehow she managed to get through the two days before she was supposed to meet with her mother's parents and their family. When Detective Orimoto called on Tuesday afternoon to ask if she would be willing to come down to the station to answer more questions, Akitoki flatly refused, stating that she was far too distraught; it wasn't a total lie, considering that she did spend most of Monday and all of Tuesday mourning the loss of her mother as it suddenly seemed to hit her. However, it mostly served as an evasive tactic, as it would have proven fatal to his little scheme if she were seen with her new haircut and might have raised questions that he did not want to answer.

On Wednesday, Tohru somehow found herself getting ready to face her mother's family despite the feeling that the time would never arrive. It was a time of both overwhelming dread and nervous anticipation. As terrible as she felt about somehow betraying her mother's memory by jumping right into the arms of the family Kyoko had worked so hard to escape, she also found herself falling victim to small bouts of excitement at the thought of meeting them.

For so many years, she'd heard other children bragging about how much better one set of grandparents was than the other. She had never been able to compare her maternal and paternal grandparents, as Kyoko had been loath to talk about her family, and her father's mother, Chitose, had passed away when he was very young. The only real elderly figure in her life had always been Akitoki.

Now, that was all about to change. As she nervously fidgeted near the front door, she gave herself one final inspection. She was wearing more of Saburo's cast-offs: a crisp white dress shirt and a pair of pressed khaki pants. The only things that perhaps took away from her clean image were the slightly ratty sneakers and worn red baseball cap Akitoki had suggested, claiming that most boys would have worn similar things.

_I hope I packed enough,_ she thought distractedly. _Grandpa says boys don't really worry about those kinds of things—and that's why I can't take too much now. He'll be sending more when I'm settled, but I still don't know…_

Her grandfather smiled a bit as he watched his granddaughter shifting uncomfortably, seemingly pondering something. He couldn't help but think that his plan might very well have a chance to work. Even if she looked a bit feminine, her appearance managed to make her passable for a young boy.

The elderly man's thoughts were broken when he heard her softly inquire, "Grandpa, do you think they'll like me?"

Akitoki smiled more at her. He couldn't understand how anyone could possibly dislike Tohru; she was a kind, accepting person who almost never asked anything of anyone. Quietly, he assured her, "I'm sure Matsuo Sohma-san and his family will like you just fine. Just remember what I've told you and you should be fine."

Tohru chuckled nervously at his words. Akitoki had spent a better part of the prior evening coaching her on how and how not to act while she masqueraded as the opposite sex. While she was grateful for the advice, she had a feeling that some of it was a bit dated, as it had been more than a few decades since he was a teenager. She decided to use that information as guidelines while she also took a note from what she'd observed of the boys at school.

She snapped back from her musings when she heard her grandfather telling her, "You are very much your mother's daughter, Tohru-san, and I am certain that her parents will accept you, if for no other reason than because you are their grandchild."

Her expression sobered as she considered his choice of words. _He always says I'm their "grandchild" so that I don't forget that Mom's family thinks I'm a boy. He wants to make sure I don't slip up._

It felt strange, knowing that she would be putting up a façade with the Sohmas—a family that was likely steeped in illicit affairs and lies of their own. Lying wasn't really something that the blue-eyed girl had ever been good at or particularly comfortable with, and it seemed to go against her grain (though she had less trouble being evasive, it was still rather difficult). The only reason she felt she could even pull off this cockamamie charade was by telling herself that the Sohmas probably deceived people all the time; one more deception couldn't be so terrible (but this did little to sooth her sense of integrity).

Tohru was drawn out of her attempts at re-self-assurance that she was doing the right thing when the doorbell suddenly rang. She and her grandfather exchanged a look before he slowly stepped over to glance at the monitor beside the door. The girl felt her heart begin to beat faster as she glanced at it as well and saw a blond man in a suit and dark sunglasses standing stoically at the door. Gulping a bit, she watched with bated breath as Akitoki opened the door slightly.

Gazing up at the younger man, her grandfather made certain that she wasn't visible and asked, "May I help you?"

Beneath his sunglasses, it was difficult to see what he was thinking. In a quiet monotone, he replied. "I am Kensuke Sohma. Matsuo-san sent me to pick up Tohru Honda-san."

"Ah, of course." Akitoki opened the door wider and finally revealed his cross-dressing granddaughter. "Would you like to come in for a moment, Sohma-san?"

Kensuke shook his head. "I apologize, Honda-san, but I cannot. Matsuo-san requested that I bring Tohru-san to see him as soon as possible."

Akitoki bowed his head in acknowledgement. "I understand, Sohma-san. Please, take very good care of my grandchild."

_He can't bring himself to call me his grandson,_ thought Tohru as she tightened her grip on the shoulder strap of her duffle bag. _Even now that there's no turning back, I'm not the only one who's having a hard time dealing with this._

The younger man shortly nodded his assent before he turned to the girl who fidgeted nervously; even if she couldn't see his eyes, she could feel them on her. He stepped forward and grabbed the two suitcases at her feet. "Please follow me, Tohru-san. I will show you to the car."

She slowly followed him toward the front door, but paused to turn back and gaze at her grandfather. It took all of her control not to throw herself into his arms and bid him a tearful farewell. However, she knew that no self-respecting boy would cry over such a trivial matter. Steeling herself, she thickly whispered, "Bye, Grandpa…"

Akitoki smiled sadly at her exercise of self-control. He could see how much she wanted to say her farewells in a more emotional way, but that could possibly give her away; he would've liked nothing more than to hug her goodbye, but it also seemed out of the question. Bowing his head, he murmured, "Goodbye, Tohru-san. Take care of yourself, and be careful."

Tohru smiled and nodded, the double meaning not lost on her. "I will."

With a one long, final look at her grandfather, she turned to follow Kensuke. None to her surprise, the man was waiting patiently beside the car—a simple black affair with absolutely no distinctive features aside from the license plates. He quickly opened the door and gestured for her to seat herself. Hesitantly, she obeyed the silent suggestion and climbed into the back of the car.

A glance outside before he closed the door told her that the windows were tinted. It was like looking through dark sunglasses that were all but opaque from the outside, yet somehow managed to appear as regular glass from the inside she realized as soon as she was seated. Just like Kensuke's sunglasses, which wouldn't allow her to see anything besides her own reflection if she looked into his eyes (though she couldn't imagine why she would want to).

_So Kensuke-san is going to take me to see Mom's family—and he talks about Matsuo-san as if he works for him. But aren't they from the same family?_ wondered the girl with a frown. She scrutinized Kensuke as he slid in behind the steering wheel. _How can a person become a virtual servant in their own family?_

Her thoughts shifted as she heard the blond man start the car and put it in gear. Watching as they slowly pulled away from Akitoki's residence, she felt tears prickling the backs of her eyes again and hoarsely whispered, "Goodbye…"

* * *

It wasn't long before Tohru discovered that the Sohma residence was farther away than she had expected. To her surprise, the family chose to dwell on the very outskirts, just beyond the other side of town. Because of her nervousness, the length of the car ride seemed even more drawn out than it might have under normal circumstances. What felt like hours later—though only about fifty minutes had elapsed in reality—Kensuke finally parked the car in the driveway of a prestigious house of traditional Japanese architecture.

When Kensuke opened the door to let Tohru climb out of the car, she sucked in a breath of air. They were in a complex—a _huge_ complex—that could easily have been a village in its own right. With the large number of houses located inside the high walls that surrounded the estate, she couldn't help wondering if it housed every Sohma in the city.

Tightening her grip on the shoulder strap of her duffle bag, she wondered, _Is this where Mom grew up? Did she live inside these walls before she met Dad and left them for good?_

She was so intent on examining her surroundings that she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the blond man say, "Please follow me, Tohru-san."

Putting a hand to her fast-beating heart, she laughed nervously. "R-right."

The tall man regarded her with an unreadable expression as he watched her, holding her two suitcases. Only when she began to sweat under his scrutiny and fidget did he pivot and start to walk in the direction she could only assume Matsuo Sohma's home would be. She followed him closely, for she feared she might otherwise get lost in the maze created by the complex's homes.

After what felt like a short eternity of meandering around the complicated labyrinth of paths running between the houses—one so twisted and winding she thought she might never find her way back to the gate—Kensuke stopped abruptly in front of one of them. He gently rapped on the sliding door and a soft masculine voice said, "Enter…"

The cross-dressing girl steeled herself a bit, thinking she would finally be getting to meet her mother's father—but was sadly disappointed when Kensuke slide the door open to reveal a man in a simple kimono who was far too young to be her maternal grandfather. The man gestured them inside and told them, "Please, come in. Matsuo-san is expecting you both."

Kensuke nodded. "Thank you, Goh."

The kimono-clad man—Goh—reached out to take the baggage from the blond man who had brought Tohru to the estate as she removed her cap and shoes. "I may take Tohru-san's luggage to his room while you take him to see Matsuo-san, Kensuke."

The man dressed in a suit nodded shortly. "All right." He handed over the two suitcases and turned to the blue-eyed girl. "Goh will relieve you of your possessions, Tohru-san. I will then take you directly to Matsuo-san."

"Yes, Kensuke-san," she stuttered. Turning to the other man, who smiled at her with warm brown eyes, she felt somewhat more at ease. Slowly holding out her duffle bag, she said, "Thank you, Goh-san. I hope I'm not causing you any trouble."

Goh waved off her concerns. "It's no trouble at all, Tohru-san. You are the grandson of Matsuo-san, and a guest in this house besides."

Tohru couldn't help smiling back at the man. _Goh-san is so different from Kensuke-san. I hope that more people in the family are like him…_

"Come, Tohru-san." Kensuke's cool voice drew the girl out of her thoughts. She looked at him, startled, as he added, "We mustn't keep Matsuo-san waiting."

Bowing her head, she hastily responded, "Of course, I'm sorry!"

With that final prompt, they quickly walked down a narrow hallway that ran the length of the house, stopping only when they came to the very end of the corridor. The girl felt her heart start to beat faster, harder, as Kensuke slowly reached out to open the last barrier that stood between her and her mother's father. Breathing heavily, she thought, _This is it. I'm finally going to meet Matsuo-san._

Inside the dimly lit room were a large sofa and a single chair that sat opposite each other. Gazing at the couch, she could just make out the silhouettes of an older man and an elderly woman. She was certain that everyone else could hear her heartbeat, as her temples pounding in time with it didn't allow her to make out much besides the sound of the blood rushing to her ears.

The gruff voice of the aged man startled her as he said, "So, you've finally arrived. What kept you?"

Tohru wasn't sure why, but she was disappointed by the greeting. She had not really known what to expect, but she had been hoping that he would be a bit more receptive when she arrived. That was when she realized that Matsuo hadn't been addressing her at all; the words had in fact been directed at Kensuke.

"I apologize, Matsuo-san; traffic was heavier than I anticipated," the blond man informed him, his head bowed slightly. "However, I have brought the boy directly to you, as per your request."

"Ah, yes." The elderly man glanced back at his "grandson." Then he snapped his gaze to Kensuke and told him, "Leave us."

The suit-wearing man bowed at the waist. "As you wish, Matsuo-san."

Though Kensuke hadn't been the most ideal of companions, the girl felt a strange sense of loss as her guide into the family took his leave. She was not allowed to dwell on the matter for more than a moment, though, because she snapped back when she heard her mother's father saying, "Come closer, boy. I want to get a better look at you."

Suddenly the girl found herself mute and unable to disobey his order. Swallowing hard, she slowly walked around to the other side of the sofa and got her first real look at her maternal grandparents as they examined her in a very similar manner.

Matsuo Sohma was every bit as imposing as Tohru had feared he might be. He had graying red-orange hair that was painfully similar to her mother's and critical red-brown eyes that seemed to be seeking out the first flaw he could find in his newfound "grandson." Dressed in a dapper suit, he seemed to fit the stereotype of the well-dressed mob boss only too well.

After a long period of silent scrutiny, Matsuo finally said something—and it was the last thing she had been expecting. "You're too skinny, boy."

"Eh!" The girl almost fell over at the pronouncement. He had spent all of that time examining her to tell her that she looked skinny! The way he'd been poring over her, she had been half afraid that he had seen through her charade.

"Matsuo!" chided the woman sitting beside him, causing Tohru to snap her gaze toward her. "He is _not_ skinny! He's _slender._" She turned to smile at the cross-dressing girl and added, "Aren't you, dear?"

"Uh…" was the only reply the girl had.

Suzume Sohma seemed a startling contrast to her husband, warm and open to his cool reserve. Her long hair had turned gray long ago, making it impossible to tell what color it had originally been, but her eyes were the same warm violet orbs that Kyoko had borne. Only her prim dress style contrasted Tohru's mother; otherwise, everything about the woman, whom her mother had so obviously taken after, reminded the girl of Kyoko.

"Slender isn't a word you want to describe a boy with, Suzume," argued Matsuo, glaring at his wife. "It makes him look like a girl."

Tohru swallowed hard and paled. _He couldn't know…could he?_

"Nonsense, he looks fine," Suzume scoffed. She smiled at the girl. "Don't pay your grandfather any mind. He wants his grandsons to be strapping young men, and tends to forget that most boys in our family aren't of a large build." She gestured to the chair across from the sofa. "Please, sit."

While Tohru hesitantly obeyed, the man gave his wife a withering look, but only grunted in response. Then he turned to his "grandson," giving her one final inspection before he said, "As I'm sure you've figured out, I am Matsuo Sohma. This is my wife, Suzume."

"We're very glad to finally meet you, Tohru-san," added the woman, her smile tinged with sadness now. "I only wish that it could have been under more pleasant circumstances than through Kyoko-chan's passing. You must miss her terribly."

The shadow on Tohru's face gave her away before she even spoke. "Yes. We were all each other had."

Her grandfather gazed at her dubiously. "What of your father's family?"

The girl lowered her teal-blue gaze, brown bangs shielding her eyes from sight. "Dad died when I was little, and my aunt's family wanted nothing to do with us—because of Mom's…past. Only Grandpa ever kept in contact with us."

Matsuo's auburn eyes hardened upon hearing the state of Tohru and Kyoko's relationships with the rest of the Honda family. Then he quietly stated, "Akitoki Honda-san will have our gratitude for caring for you and Kyoko, though she did bring it upon herself when she left the family."

"Matsuo, please!" Suzume glanced at her husband sharply. Turning to gaze at the girl, she told her, "Please excuse his harsh words, Tohru-san. When Kyoko-chan left the Sohma family, it was on bad terms and with hard feelings between herself and her father. But we are grateful that Honda-san informed us of the circumstances surrounding her death and the threat on your own life."

Raising her eyes a bit, Tohru quietly said, "I'm grateful that you were willing to help me, Suzume-san. Grandpa was…dissatisfied with the police department's offered efforts to ensure my safety from the murderer."

The elderly man snorted. "Rightfully so. Which is why we plan to see to it that they drop the investigation of Kyoko's death."

"You can't really do that, can you?" Tohru blurted out. Realizing what she'd said, she covered her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean—"

"It's all right, Tohru-san," Suzume assured her quickly. "What your grandfather means is that we have taken certain…liberties…to see to it that the investigation is stalled."

The girl frowned. "But…don't you want to know who killed Mom?"

"Of course we do," snapped Matsuo. "However, we don't want the police sticking their noses into our business. They would create quite a mess, the way they go about demanding information without the least bit of finesse. We will be able to look into it and be more successful without their bumbling interference."

Tohru winced a bit. Apparently, Detective Orimoto had been right on the mark when he labeled her mother's family as a large yakuza ring, and her grandfather was not about to make any attempts to hide it from her. They either did not care if she knew of their activities or assumed that Kyoko had mentioned the family business prior to her arrival.

Taking a deep breath, she softly inquired, "How…?"

For the first time since her arrival, Matsuo grinned—or rather, he smirked when he heard her question. "Let's just say that when you make the police commissioner your friend, it's amazing how many strings you can have pulled."

_He's actually proud of what he does,_ realized Tohru, blinking in surprise. _He doesn't care what other people think of him at all, does he?_

A long stretch of uncomfortable silence elapsed, causing the girl to shift her weight a bit. Then, licking her lips, she asked, "So…what's going to happen now…?"

Suzume's thick lashes veiled her eyes a bit as she glanced at her husband and spoke. "Well, since the coroner has finished his autopsy of your mother's body, we've made arrangements for a small, private funeral. Only immediate family will be in attendance, with perhaps a few close cousins. But no outsiders will be allowed."

Unexpectedly, Tohru found her thoughts shifting to her neighbor, Akio Ichigo. He would undoubtedly be disappointed when he found out that he wouldn't be able to attend Kyoko's funeral. She had always thought that the man had always fancied her mother, but dared not approach her because she had made it quite clear that she had never really gotten over her husband's death.

"We also want to keep your arrival into the family as quiet as possible," Matsuo added, picking up where his wife left off. "Only our son's family, the clan head, and a select few others have been notified. After your mother's funeral, you will be sent to the Sohma Academy with our family name and some prevarications on your transcripts."

"But why would you register me under a false name?" the girl wanted to know, her face turning a bit red as she asked the question. She wasn't sure why adding one more lie to her record should have bother her, but for some reason pretending she was a real Sohma (if there was even a definition for such) bothered her more than pretending she was a boy.

Her grandfather's gaze was sharp. "Kyoko's killer will be looking for a boy named Tohru Honda. By concealing your real name and placing you in a school run by our family, you are being doubly protected."

"I guess that makes sense," admitted Tohru, her face burning now. What Matsuo didn't know was that he was in fact adding to the protection Akitoki had already attempted to use, meaning she was probably _triply_ protected. Strange, how similar the minds of Matsuo Sohma and Akitoki Honda seemed to be.

A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she realized the irony of the situation. If hiding Tohru-Honda-the-girl in a Sohma-family-run school as Tohru-Sohma-the-boy didn't confuse the killer, nothing would. _I guess great minds really do think alike._

"Don't worry, Tohru-san," Suzume told the girl, bringing her back to reality. "As long as you can keep a secret, you will be able to pass as a Sohma."

The blue-eyed girl choked back a bark of laughter at her grandmother's words. Clearing her throat a bit, she assured the woman, "Don't worry, Suzume-san. I can a secret." _I'm already keeping secrets from you—what's one more from the rest of the world?_

"Very well." Matsuo looked toward the door and motioned someone inside. "Goh, show the boy to his room."

Goh suddenly appeared, a smile on his face. "Of course, Matsuo-san." He gestured the brown-haired girl toward him. "Please, follow me, Tohru-san."

Tohru stood slowly and gazed at her maternal grandparents with a hesitant smile. Then she bowed quickly at the waist and said, "It was nice to meet you both." Then, she quickly followed the dark-haired man out of the room.

As they slowly walked the hallway that Kensuke had led her down earlier, Tohru quietly commented, "Matsuo-san has a very nice home."

The brown-eyed man glanced back at her and smiled slightly. "Yes. His family is one of the most influential in the Sohma clan."

An uncomfortable silence elapsed while she considered how to best state her next remark. Deciding that straightforwardness might receive the best results, she inquired, "Are you also a member of the Sohma family, Goh-san?"

The kimono-clad man slowed his steps to mull over her words. Then he turned to face her with a grave expression and solemnly told her, "No one who is not of Sohma blood is allowed to set foot on the estate. Everyone here is a Sohma, Tohru-san, even the servants. If you wish to remain within the family's good graces, you would do well to forget about your previous life. From now on, you are Tohru Sohma."

She was startled by the idea that even the family attendants were Sohmas, and the advisory statement that she should resign herself to living as Tohru Sohma. "But…what if I wanted to leave?"

Goh's mouth tightened. "No one ever escapes Sohma House, Tohru-san. Once you have entered the family, you can never leave."


	4. Welcome to Sohma Academy

**Author's Note:** Thank you to **Lucinda the Maid, kitsunedemon, animefreak, o.oxanimefreakxo.o, firebird, **and **Manuca **for the reviews. As with any author, they serve as a source of fuel for my poor addled brain. I really appreciate them.

Someone commented on my style of using characteristic traits for the characters as part of the description for actions/thought. I'm sorry if that confuses you—blame my HS Creative Writing teacher. She had us write short stories and we had to come up with creative ways to express the character's appearance without directly coming out and saying "she had blue eyes" or "he had brown hair" and it just stuck with me; I've tried hard, but I just can't seem to break the habit. --;; On that note, please bear with me if you catch such descriptions like that.

Somebody else asked what the title means. It's supposed to mean something to the effect of "Girl Lying Concealed." A friend of mine is really into Japanese and she helped me cobble together most of the chapter titles. If the language isn't quite right, please just gloss over it.

Sorry for babbling. On with the story!

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters. I only own the non-canon characters nobody's ever heard of._

* * *

**Shôjo Fukuzai**

**Chapter 4: Irasshai Sohma Gakuen ni**

Even as Tohru and her newly found Sohma relatives prepared for Kyoko's funeral, the girl found herself puzzling over Goh's words. He had said that after a person became a member of the family, there was no escape. However, if that were true, how was it that her mother managed to cut all ties to them and live away from them the estate for over twenty years?

_It just doesn't make any sense, _she thought as she tried to adjust the ceremonial kimono she had been given to wear for the funeral. _Why would they let Mom walk away if nobody ever leaves the family? And why… Why do I have to wear a man's ceremonial kimono! I don't even know how to put on a _woman's_ kimono! Mom and I only wore yukatas on special occasions._

It was the day after the her mother's wake, and the young woman was extremely stressed out because she had gotten very little sleep the prior night, when she wasn't sitting up with Kyoko's corpse, as she had found herself unable to even think of dozing off. Though she was almost certain she could feel each and every nerve firing off beneath her skin, her eyelids were drooping a bit as she attempted to properly don the simple black, masculine kimono her grandmother had presented to her the night before.

Somehow, she had managed to fumble through slipping on most of the kimono in addition to the tabi socks. Her only remaining problems were the hakama that accompanied the rest of the garment, and the traditional obi. At the rate she was going, she feared that she would never be ready for the funeral service in time.

"Why is this so hard!" she griped with a frustrated sigh.

"Hey, aren't you ready yet?" came a voice from behind her suddenly, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. Her heart thudding in her ears, she whirled around to see who had entered the room without even knocking (though the idea of knocking on shoji screens _did_ seem a bit peculiar).

It was Kyo Sohma, the son of her mother's brother, Naosuke. He had been briefly introduced to her the night before at the wake, along with his little sister, Kisa. The prior evening, he'd looked like a fairly average teenager (though a bit dressed up, thanks to his mother's nagging), but he seemed transformed now that he was in his funeral garb that was nearly identical to hers—or rather, what she was _supposed_ to be wearing. None to her surprise, the black kimono only managed to make his bright orange hair stand out, and his ruby eyes somehow seemed darker, deeper.

With his arms stoically crossed over his chest, he said, "Didn't Grandmother tell you that you had to be ready in an hour?"

Lowering her eyes, she felt a faint blush creep into her face. "I'm trying, but… I can't seem to…" The heat in her cheeks flared.

It would have been embarrassing to admit to anyone that she didn't have the first clue how to don a kimono, but for some reason she was mortified that Kyo was the one who'd discovered her dilemma. Why couldn't Suzume have been the one to come upon her? Why did it have to be a _boy?_ (Though she knew the tight vest she wore concealed her feminine attributes, along with the mostly-assembled kimono, the idea of a young man being the one to find out about her problem upset her greatly.)

The orange-haired boy rolled his eyes. "I get it. You're having trouble making last minute adjustments."

Stepping into the room, he gestured for her to face him fully. When she merely stared at him blankly, he grunted in irritation. "You want help or not?"

By now, Tohru was positively glowing an attractive crimson. The last thing she wanted was a _boy_ helping her to put on the kimono. However, she couldn't find her voice to protest, and before she knew it, Kyo was forcefully pulling on the last pieces of the garment and skillfully adjusting them. Not long after the embarrassing ordeal began, it was over.

"There, you're presentable," her cousin pronounced.

Glancing over at the mirror, she was stunned to discover he was right. Every piece of the man's ceremonial kimono was in its proper place and looked exactly as it did on men she saw on holidays.

Still looking like a ripe tomato, Tohru bowed her head and murmured, "Thank you, Kyo-kun…for your help." (She had learned earlier that calling him "Kyo-san" only served to irritate him, and this usage of his name was only slightly less annoying.)

"Whatever," he mumbled, arms crossed over his chest. Then he gave her a long, critical look, crimson eyes narrowed. Her discomfort mounted as he opened his mouth to say, "You still look pretty girly."

Her back went ramrod straight and her heartbeat quickened. Had her cousin seen through her?

She shouldn't have worried.

A smirk quickly overtook Kyo's analytical look as he added, "Of course, you're not as girly as that damn Rat. He's a regular pretty boy."

"Huh?" she murmured in confusion, some of her flustered embarrassment fading. _Who does Kyo-kun mean—and why would he call him a "rat"?_

As if realizing she didn't—or rather couldn't—understand the reference, he muttered, "Never mind… Let's just go tell 'em we're ready. If we don't hurry, they'll probably leave without us."

Tohru looked horrified at the prospect. "Would they really do that, Kyo-kun?"

He regarded her silently for a moment, then made a _feh_ sound and grabbed her hand. "C'mon. Let's go."

The boy half-dragged her into the living room, where the rest of her mother's immediate family was assembled. They looked toward them when they saw the two teenagers enter. After a brief exchange, they headed out to the two cars that would be taking them to the temple.

Not long after their arrival, the funeral ceremony began. Most of it was a blur to the young woman, who was so caught up in her mourning that only when it was her turn to offer incense did she become aware of her surroundings.

As she approached the altar, the tears that had been flowing nonstop since the beginning of the ceremony threatened an even more terrible onslaught if she dared take another step, yet she continued to trudge on toward the casket. When she finally came to a halt, she gazed at her mother's still, lifeless face—_you can't even tell she was strangled, _she thought distractedly. Then, new tears prickled the backs of her eyes and she blinked as they blurred her vision momentarily.

It took all of her strength not to collapse onto the floor in a hysterical fit of tears and sobs. All of the grief she'd been pushing back while trying to go ahead with Akitoki's scheme was welling up and finally spilling over, making it almost impossible for her to get through this part of the ceremony. And she was not sure she would be able to endure the rest of it, either.

Her eyes slowly fell to the wooden tablet upon the altar, inscribed with her mother's posthumous name. It somehow seemed wrong, to be calling Kyoko by any other name than that which she'd borne in life, but it was part of the Buddhist funeral tradition. She had little choice but to honor it.

Bending over to bow at the altar, the rosary draped over both of her hands shook, the beads clattering softly. Choking back a sob, she swallowed the thick lump that had formed in her throat, before putting her offering of incense into the urn. Finishing her task, she somehow managed to find her way back to her seat between Kyo and Kisa (the latter of whom tried to comfort her with soothing reassurances of "it'll be okay, Tohru-niisan").

The priest ending the ceremony, her uncle Naosuke's thank-yous to the few visitors present for coming, and other such trivialities passed by without Tohru really realizing it. The next thing she knew, it was time for the final viewing.

She trembled so much as she gazed upon her mother's features for what she knew would be the last time—ever—that she was afraid her legs would give out on her and leave her in a heap on the floor. Her throat felt like it had swollen shut and it was hard to breathe. Blinking back tears as she swallowed hard, she thought, _Goodbye, Mom. I…love you…_

After the rest of the family and guests had their chance to view the body once more, the casket was sealed shut. Tohru and the others watched as the pallbearers loaded it into the hearse, filing out of the temple in hierarchical order. Much to her surprise, though, she discovered that there were now three cars waiting for the immediate family, instantly alerting her to the fact that something was going to be different about their departure of the temple than their arrival.

While Naosuke and his wife, Hiroko, ushered their children along to one car, Matsuo and Suzume pulled the girl aside to explain the presence of the third automobile.

"We want to make your presence in the Sohma family less…conspicuous," Suzume told her gently. "So that no suspicions are aroused as to why you arrived on same day as Kyo returned, we've arranged for you to go to the Sohma Academy today. Kyo will be joining you later."

Realization washed over Tohru as she stared at her grandmother, eyes wide in disbelief. _I'm not going to be able to see all of the arrangements made. They won't let me go to the crematorium now—or to pick up the remains…_

If her mother's father took notice of her crushed expression, he skillfully ignored it. "You will be taken to the house to change before heading to the school, and you will start classes as soon as you are able."

_He's serious!_ Her heart sank as she bowed her head and murmured, "I understand. Thank you for your hospitality, Matsuo-san, Suzume-san. It was most kind of you."

Matsuo merely grunted. Suzume smiled warmly, though, and said, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Tohru-san. I hope that we can get to know each other better once this whole ordeal is over. You are a very proper gentleman."

Tohru's head lowered again, bangs shielding her teal-blue orbs from view. "Thank you, Suzume-san. You're too kind."

After proper farewells had been said, she slowly made her way to the car that would be taking her to the Sohma estate. None to her surprise, the driver holding the door open for her was Kensuke. She sullenly climbed into the backseat and watched out the window as the rest of the funeral procession began to follow the hearse toward the crematorium, the direction opposite the one she would be traveling in. Then, as Kensuke gunned the engine, she turned to face forward, looking toward her future.

* * *

Clutching the strap of her duffle bag, Tohru gazed at the looming campus apprehensively. Tightening her grip, she wondered, _What have I gotten myself into?_

The grounds of the Sohma Academy sprawled out as far as the eye could see, huge buildings popping up in every single direction. It reminded her a bit of the Sohma compound, though it looked more like a fortress than a meandering maze. It was clean and most of the structure looked fairly new, contrary to what she'd come to expect from Suzume and Matsuo's descriptions, which had led her to imagine architecture of a more traditional, archaic Japanese flavor.

She was jarred from her thoughts when she heard the man who'd driven her to the school—Nozomu—say, "If you would please follow me, Tohru-san, I will take you to the principal to see to it that your affairs are in order."

"Of course, Nozomu-san," she replied and hastened her steps; the last thing she needed was to get lost on her first day.

Nozomu had been given the task of delivering her to the Sohma Academy, as it would have been rather suspicious if Kensuke had done so. Everyone who lived at the estate knew that he worked for Matsuo, which would have connected her to them rather quickly—that was the last thing they wanted. So, the task had fallen to the tall, green-eyed Nozomu; he worked odd jobs for whoever required his services, making him the perfect candidate.

It wasn't that she really minded. Nozomu was much friendlier than Kensuke had ever been with her, reminding her a bit of Goh, and struck her as an all-around nice guy. She also liked the fact that he seemed more or less straightforward, in a quiet sort of way.

When they finally reached the building that housed the principal's office, Nozomu saw her only as far as the first set of double doors on the building; he himself would not be entering. It had been explained to her beforehand that once she reached the campus, she would be on her own; however, the flaxen-haired man had taken pity on her. He'd already bent the rules, but, even as kindhearted as he was, he would not break them apart; from now on, she would be going it alone.

Tohru sadly watched him walk away before entering the building. It was not long before she found the principal's office, checked with his secretary (who assured her he would be able to see her), and rapped gently on the door. A voice from inside barked, "Come in!" and she hesitantly began to twist the doorknob, pushing the door slightly so that it was ajar.

The principal, a tall, burly man, awaited her. He smiled and gestured for her to enter. His voice boomed in the small office as he said, "Come in, come in! You must be Tohru Sohma."

"Yes, sir," she stammered nervously, slowly taking the seat across from him after gently closing the door behind her. Her eyes drifted to the nameplate on his desk; in carefully scripted kanji, it read: _Yasujiro Ishiyama._ Bowing her head a bit, she added, "It's nice to meet you, Ishiyama-sensei."

"Nice to meet you, too!" he replied loudly. Then he pulled out a photocopy of her (forged, twice over) transcripts and glanced at them for a moment. He smirked a bit and said, "So, you're the son of Mitsuru and Mahiru Sohma, eh? Such a tragedy that they died when you were so young. You must have been shuffled back and forth a lot, huh?"

Tohru winced a bit at the falsified names Matsuo had assigned for her "parents." The young couple had been a pair of real people who'd died in a car accident around the time she had been seven; though they had been childless, they proved the perfect cover, with a forged signature of Mahiru's brother as her legal guardian. Then, in a small voice, she replied, "Yes, sir. It's been difficult."

Ishiyama nodded sympathetically. "I understand. Your father had it rough for a while, too. He was a ward of the state until the Sohmas brought him back into their fold. I went to school with him—Mitsuru was like a brother to me." He scrutinized her. "I never met your mother, but I assume you take after her, eh, boy?"

The girl squirmed a bit. She had never looked like her mother at all; in fact, everyone had always said that she took after Katsuya. But she couldn't very well tell the principal—who had known Mitsuru—that she looked like her father (she looked nothing like either of the people Matsuo had assigned as her "parents": a blond, blue-eyed woman and a raven-haired, ruby-eyed man).

"I guess you could say that…" she told him slowly. It was a not-completely-untrue answer that satisfied her moral code—sort of. He was making an assumption; she just wasn't confirming or denying it.

"All righty, then, let's see what's left to do here…" Ishiyama went over a couple of loose ends that she tied up with answers that Matsuo and Suzume had formulated for just such an occasion. As they were finishing, there came a soft knock on the door. The man glanced at the clock and smirked. "Right on time. Come on in!"

Tohru grimaced at his volume. _He should use his indoors-voice._ Then she watched curiously as two people stepped into the room, a boy and a girl about her age.

"Tohru Sohma-san," said Ishiyama, gesturing to the newcomers, "meet Shiori Arakida and Junji Horigome. They'll be your guides around campus. Feel free to ask them any questions you might have."

Tohru took in the sight of each newcomer, examining the girl first. She was a demure-looking creature, with long dark brown hair and sparkling dark-chocolate eyes. Her slight frame was clad in the girls' version of the Sohma Academy uniform. It consisted of a light gray jacket with a charcoal split collar, a tie of the same color with a navy-blue border along the hem, and charcoal hems on the sleeves and navy borders ringing them for trim; a short pleated charcoal skirt with a thick light gray border on the lower hem; a pair of navy-blue knee-high socks; and brown loafers.

The girl bowed at the waist, her cheeks a bit pink as she softly said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tohru Sohma-san. Welcome to Sohma Academy."

Tohru smiled back easily and bowed in return. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Arakida-san."

The pinkness in Shiori's cheeks darkened to a faint crimson as she giggled nervously. However, before the other girl could begin to think of a reason as to why she was blushing, the boy rolled his eyes and said, "Geez, you're not gonna start mooning over _him_ now, are you, Arakida?"

"Erk!" Tohru practically glowed crimson as he spelled out what she'd been trying to comprehend—and now that she could, she wished she didn't. At that very moment, she would have liked nothing more than for the floor to swallow her up.

_Arakida-san _can't_ be taken with me…can she…?_ At the idea of another girl thinking she was cute (masquerading as a boy), she _really_ wished that she could disappear.

Though Shiori rivaled Tohru for cherry-red coloration, she had an entirely different reaction. She growled at her companion in frustration and shouted, "Why don't you mind your own business, Horigome!" (For all intents and purposes, Junji looked as though he would have fallen over from the sheer force of her voice, had she yelled any louder, while Ishiyama blinked rapidly, a look of blank shock on his face.)

Then, clearing her throat, Shiori turned to look back at Tohru (who was torn between being embarrassed by the entire situation and stunned by the other girl's outburst) with a shy smile on her face. "I'm sorry, Tohru-san. Horigome can be rather rude sometimes."

"Me? _You're_ the one who blew up over nothing," griped the boy. Then he looked at Tohru and winked, giving her a victory sign. "Hey, man. What's up?"

"Er…" The cross-dressing girl was at a loss.

Junji struck her as an outgoing character, having raven-black hair that was fashionably trimmed and amused blue-black eyes. He had a couple of inches on her, and wore the same boys' uniform that she was parading around in. It was comprised of a light gray jacket with a charcoal split collar that was outlined with a navy-blue border at the hems, a matching tie with similar trim along its lower hem, and navy-blue hems on the sleeves; a pair of charcoal slacks; standard issue light gray socks; and a pair of brown loafers.

"Now that's the spirit!" Ishiyama grinned at the three teenagers and said, "Don't just stand here—you'd better get moving if you're going to get Tohru-san familiar with the rest of the campus, Arakida, Horigome."

"Yes, Ishiyama-sensei," said the two Sohma Academy students, bowing slightly. Then Shiori smiled at Tohru and said, "Come on, Tohru-san. We have a lot to see."

"Just a moment." Tohru smiled at the principal and bowed deeply. "It was nice meeting with you, Ishiyama-sensei."

Then she quickly followed her two guides, hoping that she would be able to pull off this masquerade. Kyoko had always told her that she could do anything that she put her mind to, as long as she never gave up. She could only hope that the advice also applied to her current situation.


	5. Roommates & Other New Aquaintances

**Author's Note:** Thanks to **Lucinda the Maid, kitsunedemon, animefreak, Dumblepoo, Manuca, nightmare, **and **anonymous** for the reviews. They always brighten my day and give me the push to want to actually post the next chapter of the story.

If anyone's interested, I reposted Chapter 4 after refining it a bit at Lucinda the Maid's suggestion. I looked it over and, man, were there lots of little things that could've been better. I guess going over chapters twice isn't enough. -.-;; Sorry it was so short, too. It was _supposed_ to be longer, but the last scene I planned got too long and was used as the first part of _this_ chapter.

And I know everyone's just waiting to see when the other Sohmas, especially Yuki (don't worry, you'll be seeing a _lot_ more of him in the future), make an appearance. Well, a majority of the younger set appears here. Be warned, though: I've taken a creative liberty with Kagura and made her only a year older than Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo, to make her fit into the story more easily. Otherwise, I think the rest of the Sohmas should have survived the translation into my story intact (more or less). I'll try to squeeze the others in later.

To anyone who's still reading the author's note (kudos, if you have the patience!), you might be interested in checking out some of the other stories I've recently posted: **It's Broken**—an AU to the ending of the anime (one-shot); and **On the Open Road**—my first successful attempt at a parody/humor fic (possibly another one-shot, unless I get around to writing the others I have in mind).

Ahem... Anyway, on with the story.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters. If you don't recognize a character as canon from the manga or anime, though, chances are I own them._

* * *

**Shôjo Fukuzai**

**Chapter 5: ****RŪMUMĒTO** **to ta Atarashii Shiriai**

"And that concludes our grand tour," said Junji as he and Shiori walked Tohru out of one of the last buildings on the Sohma Academy campus. "Thank you for choosing Horigome-Arakida Tour Guide Services for your guided tour needs. As promised, we will be offering a special question and answer period, so please, don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions."

Shiori made a face at his speech. "You're such a dork, Horigome. Besides, we're not quite finished yet. We still have to show Tohru-san where the infirmary is."

"Aw, come _on_, Arakida!" the boy whined, a pleading look on his face as he attempted play on her sympathy. "Can't we just beg off that little side trip? We're liable to run into Hatori-sensei if we do!"

His efforts were for naught; the long-haired girl merely smirked at his pitiful attempts and tilted her head up slightly. "What's the matter, Horigome? I thought you'd _want_ to go—to see if _Kana-san_ is around!"

Junji reddened and muttered, "Shut up!"

Tohru glanced between her guides. "Um, excuse me, but…who is Kana-san?"

Shiori's smirk softened to a smile as she turned her attentions to her new schoolmate. "Kana Sohma-san is studying to be a nurse at Tsujitani Women's College; she's interning under Iseya-san, the school nurse. Everybody on campus knows she likes Hatori-sensei."

_How sweet! I wonder if they're a couple,_ thought Tohru with a slight smile, though she didn't say a word. Then, as they began to walk again, she quietly said, "Um, I'd like to thank you both for giving me the tour. I hope I'm not being any trouble to either of you."

"Nah, it's fine!" Junji gave her a thumbs-up and a wink as he grinned. "You're getting me out of a math test. _I_ should be thanking _you_."

The brown-eyed girl glanced over at him and nodded. "I asked Chie-chan, my best friend, to take notes for me. Unlike _some_ people, I care about what kinds of marks I hand my parents."

The only real boy present glared at her. "If you're so studious, Arakida, how come you're only in class 2-B?"

Giving him a pointed look, she told him, "Horigome, need I remind you that _you're_ in class 2-_D?_"

Despite the withering look he attempted to give her, it just didn't have the desired effect when he was blushing lightly from embarrassment. He said nothing, though, and instead focused his attention on something else—anything but Shiori.

Apparently satisfied that Junji would be keeping his mouth shut, Shiori smiled cheerfully and continued to converse with a slightly startled Tohru. She just was not sure what to make of the pair. They bickered like an old married couple, yet she got the feeling there was absolutely nothing between them; it seemed they would kill each other before they exchanged two polite sentences.

When they arrived at the building that the infirmary was located in, Shiori quickly introduced Tohru to Karen Iseya, the school nurse. A smiling middle-aged woman with graying hair, Tohru had a feeling that she would be able to get along with her just fine (though she didn't plan to spend _any_ time in the infirmary, if at all possible). They chatted briefly before a voice called, "Iseya-san, Hatori-sensei would like to speak with you!"

All of the room's occupants looked over when they saw a young woman standing in the doorway. She smiled brightly and added, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Not at all!" Iseya looked at the young people. "I'm sorry, kids, but I've gotta run. If you'd like, though, I'm sure Kana-san would be more than happy to answer any other questions you've got."

As the older woman left, the young woman turned her warm smile on the teens. "Ah, you must be the new student! Arakida-san and Horigome-kun have been showing you around, right? I'm Kana Sohma."

Tohru was slightly taken aback by the woman's cheerfulness. Kana was a very pretty woman, with shoulder-length brown hair a few shades lighter than her own and large, expressive violet eyes. Despite the fact that she was almost certain they had never met before, there was something about her that seemed almost frighteningly familiar. But what caused it—and why?

Then, remembering her manners, she quickly bowed at the waist. "Sorry! I'm Tohru Sohma."

"Really?" asked Kana in surprise. "I used to know a girl named Tohru. It's really an odd sort of name for a girl, don't you think, Tohru-kun?"

_If only you knew, Kana-san,_ thought the blue-eyed girl with a nervous laugh. Then she said, "I guess it might be seem a little weird. But then again, boys sometimes have names that are usually associated with a girl. I used to go to school with a boy named Masami, and he said that his mother liked the name so much, she had her heart set on naming her first child that and—"

"Okay, I get the point!" Kana laughed, interrupting the young girl's rambling. She tilted her head to the side slightly and her smile became surreptitious. "Maybe her mother had a penchant for boys' names, huh?"

Tohru shifted a bit. "I suppose."

The young woman shrugged a bit, crossing her arms over her chest. "I've never really liked my name. _Kana_ is so plain and ordinary; my family had no imagination. If I could pick a name for myself, I'd choose something more flamboyant—like… _Megami_."

The blue-eyed girl's eyebrows rose. Though she also thought that Kana was a somewhat bland name, Megami seemed a bit…extreme. She had been teased a few times for having "a boy's name," and the teacher had even mistaken it for a boy's on her first day of kindergarten (when Kyoko arrived that day to pick her up, she had promptly asked if she could change her name to Sakura so that nobody would think she was a boy anymore). However, she saw nothing wrong with her name anymore (and it came in especially handy now that she was pretending to be a boy).

"But I don't suppose many boys think about things like that, hmm?" Kana said with a smile.

"Damn straight," muttered Junji under his breath, just loudly enough for Tohru to hear. Then he threw an arm around the cross-dressing girl's shoulders, startling her, and flashed the woman a grin. "It was great chewing the fat with you, Kana-san, but I really should be showing Tohru to his room."

"Of course," acknowledged Kana, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "It was nice meeting you, Tohru-kun. I hope we can get to know each other soon."

For some reason that she could not fathom, the thought of meeting up with Kana again left the blue-eyed girl feeling a bit uneasy (then again, so did the idea of spending time alone with most members of the Sohma family). She quickly squelched the sensation, though, and forced a tight smile. "Likewise, I'm sure. Goodbye, Kana-san."

The trio of teens started to take their leave of the infirmary, but not before Tohru glanced over at the small office area; there she saw the school nurse talking to a man in a white coat. Frowning a bit, she thought, _He must be Hatori-sensei, the doctor Arakida-san mentioned. I wonder what he and Iseya-san are talking about…_

Her train of thought was abruptly derailed when the dark-haired doctor suddenly looked up. His piercing hazel eyes met her startled teal-blue orbs and, for a few seconds, they held each other's gaze. She quickly looked away, though, and attempted to hasten her steps in an effort to leave—only to barrel into someone.

Blushing fiercely, she jumped back and started to wave her hands back and forth excitedly. "I'm so sorry! I should've been looking where I was going and—!"

A soft chuckle caused her to break off in mid-apology, startled. She looked up slightly to see a tall young man with auburn hair and warm chestnut eyes smirking at her. Then, in a light baritone, he replied, "It's fine. Just be more careful."

"Uh…" She watched, bemused, as the tall man sauntered off without another word. _Who in the world…?_

Any further thoughts were interrupted when she heard Junji call, "Hey, Tohru! You coming or what?"

For the first time, she noticed that her guides were almost at the other end of the hall while she was still standing just outside the infirmary. Picking up the pace a bit, she called back, "Ah, coming!"

* * *

By the time Shiori and Junji finished their tour with Tohru, they found that classes had just ended. Shiori bid them farewell before they headed into the boys' dorm, and it was all Tohru could do to keep from wondering what would happen when she was left at the mercy of an entire building full of the opposite sex. 

Despite her fears, she found that it wasn't as terrible as she had thought it might be; at least it didn't smell like a locker room after gym or a team practice, and none of the guys she saw ran around half-naked. However, her anxiety was not alleviated entirely. There was still the little matter of surviving life with a boy for a roommate.

Junji and Tohru stopped briefly to glance at the rooming list that was located in the lobby to learn which room she would be staying in. The boy pointed it out quickly with a triumphant smirk on his face. "Aha! You're rooming with Yuki Sohma himself. Pretty impressive."

She glanced at him with a frown. "Yuki Sohma-san? Who's he?"

The dark-haired boy goggled at her with wide sapphire-black eyes. "You've never heard of Yuki? He's the unofficial 'Prince' of Sohma Academy—smart, popular, and athletic. Girls eat it up (and some guys, too). He's even got his own fan club."

Tohru grimaced as she wearily glanced up at her phony name below that of Yuki Sohma, the script winking at her mockingly. Fate had a perverse sense of humor; her maternal grandparents had sent her to Sohma Academy so that she could keep a low profile, and now she had been given the most popular boy at school as a roommate. For the briefest moment, she wondered what horrible things she had done in a past life to deserve everything that was being thrown at her now.

"Looks like we'll be neighbors, too." Junji jerked a thumb at his own name with a grin. "Two-eleven is just across the hall from two-ten."

However, the blue-eyed girl's gaze was not upon her guide's name. Instead, they fell to the one just below it. Her eyes widened in bewilderment as she silently translated it. _Kyo-kun is Horigome-san's roommate!_

"Well, come on, Tohru." Her guide clapped her on the back and gestured to the stairs. "Better let you get settled. Your stuff was probably sent up to your room already."

Still reeling from the shock that her first cousin was in fact Shiori's co-guide's roommate, the girl let herself be dragged along to the second floor. The next thing she knew, she and the dark-haired boy were standing in front of a door labeled 211. She gulped audibly as her companion pounded a fist on the door and called, "Hey, Yuki! Got your new roommate here!"

Though she was unsure why, she was a bit disappointed when there was no answer. However, Junji didn't seem fazed in the least. Instead, he turned to Tohru and said, "He's probably at a student council meeting. He _is_ the president, after all. You got your key, right?" At her hesitant nod, he patted her shoulder. "Good. See ya at dinner."

"But I…" She trailed off sadly, watching him walk away. Once again she was being left to her own devices. Sighing, she slowly turned to face the door. Pulling the key Ishiyama had given to her during their brief visit from her slacks' pocket, she slowly inserted it into the lock and twisted. Then she turned the knob and pushed the door open ever so gently.

The environment she found inside wasn't completely unpleasant, if a bit messy; apparently, her roommate wasn't much of a housekeeper. She could only assume that the setup was standard: bunk beds stationed on the left wall and a desk, dresser, and other such trappings spaced sporadically throughout the room. Upon further exploration, she discovered a door on the far wall that led to a bathroom equipped with all the necessary accoutrements. _That_ would save on certain, potentially embarrassing situations.

Tohru quickly changed into a red shirt and denim bib overalls (even more of Saburo's hand-me-downs) before she went about unpacking, all the while hoping that she would not be infringing on any of her roommate's territory. After putting everything in what she assumed would be the proper place, she was tidying up a bit when she heard a key twisting in the door's lock. Her heartbeat quickened and she turned around to face the door as it slowly opened. _This is it. I'm finally going to meet Yuki Sohma-san._

The figure who stepped through the door wasn't quite what she'd expected. Her first thought was that the person was androgynous, though she knew that he was undoubtedly male. The boy was pale and slender, possessing an effeminate beauty (there was no other word for it), with lavender-frosted gray hair and brilliant amethyst eyes. The ash tones of his uniform only served to make these features all the more prominent.

It wasn't until he said, "Are you Tohru Sohma?" that she even realized she had been staring. She snapped back to reality, a faint blush pinkening her cheeks, and immediately found something absolutely fascinating about the floor. He must have thought she was completely uncouth, staring at him dumbstruck rather than properly introducing herself.

Clearing her throat as she fidgeted uncomfortably, she squeaked, "Yes, I'm Tohru."

Even to her own ears the answer sounded like a feeble attempt. Not only was she coming off as rude, she could now add stupid to her résumé. All she needed to do was trip over her own feet, and she could claim the title of total clod. Biting her lip hard, she winced. _This isn't really the kind of first impression I wanted to make._

When the boy merely remained silent, she dared to slowly raise her eyes to peek at him. To her utter amazement, he didn't look put off in the least. Instead, she found him smiling warmly at her, which caused heat to fill her cheeks. Then he said, "I'm Yuki Sohma. It's nice to meet you, Tohru-san."

_He even has an attractive voice,_ thought the girl dazedly. His tone was soft and warm, almost lilting, and had a near feminine quality to it. It was somehow melodious to her ears.

Then Tohru shook herself from her stupor, realizing that she had not even replied. Bowing hastily, she said, "I'm sorry! It's nice to meet you, too!"

Yuki gazed at her for a moment longer before he put his book bag on the lower bunk and sat down. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to meet you, but I was tied up in a student council meeting."

Almost immediately she felt more at ease. He seemed nice enough. She shook her head slightly and told him, "It's okay, Horigome-san told me. You must be pretty busy, being the president and all."

His gaze was questioning as he asked, "Horigome-san? The stupid Cat's roommate?"

"Er…" The girl wasn't quite sure what to say. What _could_ she say? This was the second time she had heard someone referred to by the name of an animal, but she had no idea what it could possibly mean, aside from the fact that it seemed to be a put-down. (Although she could understand that "rat" would be an insult, she wasn't sure how "cat" could be derogatory.)

Then in a fashion similar to that which Kyo had used when he realized she didn't have the first clue what he was talking about, Yuki waved his hand in the air and shook his head. "Never mind. Was Horigome-san your guide?"

"Yes," she answered. "He and Arakida-san showed me around the campus."

"Ah. That explains her absence from the student council meeting then. She's the secretary-treasurer," he explained at her slightly puzzled expression.

"Oh," was her reply.

They lapsed into an awkward silent. As it dragged on, Tohru began to fidget. What was she supposed to say? They had only just met and already they had run out of things to talk about. Maybe this situation was going to be harder to deal with than she'd initially thought.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly said, "Horigome-san said that you're into sports. Do you play any one in particular?"

Yuki's lips quirked at the question. "Not really, although I'm told I do well at most of them. I'm really too busy with other…extracurricular activities to really have the time to participate."

"What kinds of extracurricular activities?" she asked, curious.

To her astonishment, the gray-haired boy began to squirm a bit and his calm, friendly façade all but evaporated as he seemed to consider her question. Lowering his head so that his bangs covered his eyes slightly, he told her, "I…do some martial arts training once in a while."

Tohru was surprised. He didn't exactly strike her as the martial artist type; he looked too fragile, really, like he would snap in half if someone gave him a karate chop in the wrong place. But it was entirely possible, she supposed, and decided to put her curiosity as to why he would have acquired the talents without the musculature she assumed a martial artist would have on hold. Instead, she smiled brightly. "Really? I always wanted to learn, but Mom always told me I couldn't."

Yuki cocked an eyebrow. Gazing at his blue-eyed roommate with a slight frown, he wondered, _He never received_ any_ training at all? That's strange. I thought all Sohma children were required to learn at least the basics by the time they were ten. Why would they have allowed him to slip through the cracks, even if he is on the Fringe?_

He might have pondered the matter further, but he was brought back to reality when he heard Tohru inquire, "What other things do you do?"

Any bit of remaining friendliness faded from his face at her question and his amethyst gaze turned frosty as it met her curious teal-blue one. "Don't worry about it, Tohru-san. It's better if you don't know."

There was something about the quality of his voice that made chills race up her spine and spread shivers throughout her body, something almost…lethal…? Wondering what kinds of secrets her roommate held, she took a step back and murmured, "A-all right, Yuki-san."

As if she'd said the magic words, Yuki immediately brightened and all of the tension on his part evaporated. "Good. I'm going to change and then we can go down to the cafeteria. You can meet some of the other Sohmas who attend here."

She forced a smile and nodded. "Sure thing."

He nodded to himself before he went to the dresser, rummaging around before he found clothing to his taste—a light gray shirt with indigo trim along the mandarin collar and a pair of blue slacks—and headed to the bathroom to change. She watched him disappear and wondered, _What secrets do the Sohmas hide?_

* * *

Whatever misgivings Tohru had about her roommate were soon overshadowed by introductions to more of her Sohma relatives. She learned that, despite the fact that the family financed and owned the school, only a small percentage of the student body was actually made up of Sohmas. However, even that meager proportion was a bit overwhelming when she found herself face to face with the majority of them. 

The first to be introduced was Momiji, a short blond boy who was half German and ran around in exceedingly frilly clothes that made her wonder at his age; then came Kagura, a girl with dark hair who seemed a bit childlike and naïve despite the fact that she was a third-year student; and finally there was Hatsuharu, with bizarre black and white hair and an even stranger tendency to get lost in everything he did. If that did not seem like enough new relatives, there was always the fact that there was yet another Sohma girl who was a third-year like Kagura, called Rin (though her given name was Isuzu, only Kagura and Momiji ever referred to her as such at any point during the conversation).

She was further bombarded by new acquaintances after dinner when Junji somehow managed to find her in the cafeteria and dragged her over to introduce her to one of the boys from their dorm, Naruto Oishi. He was a solemn boy who stood a few inches shorter than her and had tousled mahogany hair and calculating chestnut eyes that seemed to watch her every move.

After a moment or two of scrutinizing her, the redhead bowed to her and quietly intoned, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tohru-san."

She reciprocated the gesture. "Nice to meet you, too, Oishi-san."

Junji grinned and threw an arm around Naruto's shoulders. "Oishi here's my main man. We're best buds."

Annoyance practically rolled off the shorter boy in waves. "Kindly remove your arm from my person or I shall be forced to do it for you," he said in a low voice that signaled danger.

The blue-eyed boy quickly obliged, laughing nervously. Then he smiled at it at Tohru. "So, Yuki been introducing you to the whole Sohma crew? There's at least six of 'em running around as students."

The cross-dressing girl smiled a bit and nodded. "Yeah. I've met all of them, except Isuzu-san. They all seem very nice."

"You would do best to avoid Isuzu Sohma-san at all costs, Tohru-san," Naruto advised gravely, startling her. When she looked at him in confusion, he added, "She doesn't take kindly to those who seek her out, or are interested in…certain things…"

The girl was not sure why, but the look on his face coupled with his tone of voice made the hair on the back of her neck stand up and her skin prickle. _Can Isuzu-san really be such a terrible person? Is she hiding behind the same secret as Yuki-san? What about the other Sohmas? Do they have a part in it as well? And what about Oishi-san…?_

Her silent inquiry of her newfound relatives was interrupted when Junji piped up, "Yeah. She's mastered the art of the death glare—gives it to anybody who looks at her too long or the wrong way. She's a regular Ice Princess."

"An…Ice Princess…?" echoed Tohru, frowning deeply. Was Rin Sohma merely the stuck-up snob that Junji described…or was there something more sinister behind her aloofness, as Naruto's warning seemed to suggest? Shivering slightly, she wasn't sure she wanted to find out.


	6. Friends

**Author's Note:** Thanks to **kishe, kitsunedemon,** and **Lucinda the Maid** for your reviews. I really appreciate the feedback.

Sorry this chapter took so long to get out, but I was suffering from a severe case of writer's block on an upcoming chapter. That, and real life has been really hectic. Little time and no inspiration does not a good story make.

For anyone who's interested, I made a couple of corrections and reposted Chapter 5. Hopefully, it'll flow a little more easily now.

On a totally unrelated side note, I've been thinking about posting a mini-series that is a "possible origins of the curse" kind of story. It centers around Akito, Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo, and follows them through four generations. It'll be under the title **Leaves **if anybody's interested. Ugh, that sounds like a terrible summary, and I just wrote it! (Hopefully the real one will be better.)

Anyway, on with the story!

_Author's Note: I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters. Only the totally unrecognizable characters that aren't canon are mine._

* * *

**Shôjo Fukuzai**

**Chapter 6: Tomodachi**

The day after her arrival, Tohru joined her new classmates in the wonder world of academics. Much to her surprise, she found herself situated in class 2-B with Yuki and Shiori. Standing at the front of the room, she stared at the sea of unfamiliar faces as the homeroom teacher said, "Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning, Uchida-sensei," replied the other students.

The teacher smiled brightly and gestured to the fidgeting new pupil. "I would like you to meet our new student." She looked to Tohru. "Please introduce yourself."

The girl licked her lips as she tried to put into words the speech she'd rehearsed for this imminent little triviality, but somehow it seemed they could not be elicited. Instead, her voice cracked a bit as the first thing on the tip of her tongue popped out: "My name is Tohru Sohma—I just transferred from Kaibara High School! It's nice to meet you all!" She bowed quickly.

Uchida was a bit surprised by her rushed effort, but smiled pleasantly despite it, and then turned to the rest of the class again. "Well, now that you've met your new classmate, I would appreciate if everyone would make an effort to make him feel welcome." Then she glanced at Tohru. "Sohma-san, you may take a seat next to…Shiori Arakida-san. Arakida-san, please raise your hand."

Shiori seemed only too happy to oblige, her arm immediately shooting high in the air. After murmuring her thanks to the instructor, Tohru slowly made her way to the seat beside the brown-eyed girl who smiled brightly at her. Replying in kind with a tight smile of her own, she softly said, "It's nice to see you again, Arakida-san."

The dark-haired girl beamed. "Nice to see you, too, Tohru-san." Then she gestured to the blond girl ahead of her with warm honey eyes. "This is my best friend, Chie Ikeuchi. I think I might have mentioned her yesterday…"

_She did mention that her friend took notes for her yesterday—I think…_ It was difficult to remember everything that had happened the day before. In truth, there had been so much Tohru had had to absorb—from her mother's funeral to the campus tour and meeting some of the Sohma Academy students—that most of the trivial details mentioned had gone to the wayside.

"Oh, yes," she said quickly with a hesitant smile at the other girl. "It's nice to meet you, Ikeuchi-san."

Chie nodded and her smile grew a touch. "Likewise, I'm sure, Sohma-san."

After a few minutes, the homeroom teacher left the students with the English teacher, a woman who introduced herself as Miyu Fūno, the substitute who would be filling in while the regular instructor was on maternity leave. Tohru cracked open the English book she had been provided with as Fūno said, "All right, class, open your books and we'll go over the lesson Ogino-sensei mentioned was part of yesterday's assignment…"

* * *

Much to Tohru's relief, she soon found that the classes at Sohma Academy were not as terrible as she had feared. The Sohmas had spent an adequate amount of time warning her that the criteria for getting into the prestigious school was quite high and that if her marks fell, she would be forced into another class. Upon discovering that she was in class 2-B, she had begun to worry she wouldn't be able to keep up. However, it seemed that the classes were about on par with those she'd been taking at Kaibara High. She might have to study a little harder, but it would be worth it not to fall into the 2-C class. 

Once classes were over, Yuki caught her in the shoe locker room to tell her that Momiji wanted to meet her outside the activities center. When she'd asked if he would like to join them, he had hastily replied that he had other things that required his immediate attention. There had been something dark and foreboding about his expression that kept the question of what he would be doing from her lips.

After stopping by her room briefly to change out of her uniform, she jogged halfway across the campus to the activities center. She had almost expected to find the younger boy sporting the same girls' version of the Sohma Academy uniform (the only difference was that his had culottes instead of a skirt) she'd seen him wearing earlier. However, she wasn't surprised in the least when she saw the blond waving to her enthusiastically, clad in a frilly pink shirt and brown shorts.

Smiling to herself, she thought, _If I didn't know he and Hatsuharu-san are the same age, I would swear that he's only a first-year junior high student. He really seems so much happier than some of the other Sohmas I've met. But is he really so happy, or is it just an act?_

"Hey, Tohru!" called the younger boy with a wide grin. "You took so long, I was almost afraid you weren't going to show up!"

Though she knew he was only teasing, the girl's smile turned sheepish as she gazed at him. "Sorry, Momiji-san. I had to stop and change, though."

"That's okay," the blond chirped as he gestured for her to follow him. "C'mon. If we hurry, maybe we can get a good game!"

Wondering what sort of game Momiji would want to play, she hesitantly followed him into the activities center. None to her surprise, she found a number of other young people already there, playing different sorts of games and watching from the sidelines. She followed the young Sohma further into the center, and she started to wonder if he wanted to be secluded from the others; Momiji struck her as the sort of person who thrived on attention, so his decision to enter an area that was less than bustling perplexed her.

To her sheer amazement, the blond boy led her to a table where a chess game was already set up. _This_ was the game he wanted to play? Not some board game or even a videogame, but a game of _chess?_

Blinking, she was startled out of her shocked staring contest with the checkered board when Momiji asked, "What's the matter, Tohru? Don't you like chess?"

Tohru had never played a game of chess a day in her life, so she couldn't rightly say whether she liked it or disliked it. Saki and Arisa had never been big on anything but card games, and her mother had never shown an interest in anything remotely close to chess (except maybe checkers). Forcing a cheerful smile, she shook her head. "It's not that. It's just that…I've never played before."

"Don't worry, I'll teach you!" the younger boy assured her, a bright smile lighting his face once more. He gestured to the game pieces. "Do you want to be white or black?"

Her smile became a touch more genuine. "White."

After Momiji gave Tohru a crash course in chess, the two teenagers engaged in a heated battle of wits. Though the girl had had her doubts when they started, she soon discovered that she actually enjoyed playing the game. It was surprising, really, considering the fact that she didn't think she had any tactical imagination, but she relished the challenge the game posed.

And even though she lost the first game, the blue-eyed girl was happy to play a second and third time. Each time, Momiji complimented her on the fact that she seemed to be getting better and better. When (the boy said) she came close to winning the third round of their competition, she almost glowed with pride in her accomplishment. Even if she didn't win, she was thrilled with the thought that had done so well.

As they began to clean up the chess pieces and put them into the proper box, Momiji glanced at his watch. "Wow! It's already dinnertime!"

"Really?" Tohru glanced down at the watch her paternal grandfather had given her (one that was more masculine than the one her mother had given her for her sixteenth birthday). Could three hours have passed already? Her eyes widened slightly as she exclaimed, "We'd better hurry then, or we might miss it!"

The short boy smiled slightly at her sudden panic but quickly assured her, "Don't worry, Tohru, I'm sure we have plenty of time to get something to eat."

Leaving the recreation center, the two teens headed straight for the cafeteria. After standing in the dinner line, the pair sought out an open table before sitting down to eat the yakisoba and miso soup they had been given. They talked amicably throughout dinner and only went back to their rooms when Momiji grudgingly admitted that he had some homework to do.

Despite the fact that Tohru also had homework of her own to finish, she was reluctant to take her departure from her new friend. She had enjoyed spending time with somebody so friendly when so many unfamiliar people surrounded her; it was a little overwhelming, and her new friend had made her first full day at Sohma Academy a little more bearable.

Glancing over at her untouched schoolbooks, the cross-dressing girl sighed resignedly and began the familiar ritual of doing her homework. A few hours later, she had completed her task and found herself without something else to occupy her attention.

Deciding that she would have to visit the library sometime the following afternoon and pick up some books, so that she wouldn't endure any potential boredom if she should ever finish early, she cast a quick glance at the alarm clock that was beside the lower bunk—Yuki's bunk—and was surprised to find that it was almost eleven-o'clock. She wondered why her roommate would be out so late on a school night.

Then, realizing how silly it was to worry about someone she hardly knew, she chided herself, _It's none of my business what Yuki-san does._

Yawning, she decided to get ready for bed a little earlier than she had the previous night. After donning a simple white T-shirt and a pair of pants that made for simple but comfortable pajamas, she climbed up to the top bunk and quickly fell asleep. However, her sleep would be anything but peaceful.

* * *

Sometime after midnight, Yuki finally returned to his room. He was utterly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and hibernate for an entire week. The rigors of nearly five hours of intensive training as well as the debriefing that were part of his schedule would never allow him to even get the minimum eight hours of sleep the typical teenager was recommended to have. 

Muttering under his breath, the fatigued gray-haired boy stumbled around in the dark to gather his nightclothes before casting a careful glance at his new roommate. Although it looked like Tohru was sleeping fitfully, he didn't think he had actually disturbed the room's second occupant. Quietly, he sneaked into the adjoining bathroom to change.

He had just slipped into his pajamas when there suddenly came a scream from the room. Startled, he raced out of the bathroom in time to see his roommate tossing so violently in his sleep that he actually managed to roll off the top bunk. With a gasp, Yuki dashed forward and tried to catch the other boy before he could make contact with the hard floor. However, he was only marginally successful.

He did, indeed, manage to catch his roommate, but the other boy's weight threw him off balance. They both went sprawling to the floor, and Yuki got the wind knocked out of him.

Struggling for breath, the gray-haired boy watched as his roommate finally seemed to awaken from whatever nightmares had been troubling him. The other boy blinked his large blue eyes as he stared at Yuki, as if uncomprehending, then quickly scrambled off him.

It might have been his imagination, but he thought that he saw a hint of a blush on his roommate's cheeks as he stuttered, "What happened?"

Yuki blinked. "You rolled out of your bunk. Are you all right, Tohru-san?"

Tohru felt the heat in her cheeks increase tenfold as Yuki related the story of what had happened. It was awkward enough to have found herself sprawled out across a boy the moment she woke from the nightmare that had been plaguing her since she left Akitoki's house. Finding out that she had rolled off the bunk _onto_ him was even worse.

Then she raked her fingers through her bangs as she closed her eyes and murmured, "It was a nightmare. Ever since I was little, I've had a habit of rolling out of bed when I have a bad dream…"

The prospect of knowing that his roommate could possibly roll out of bed and to his death any time he happened to have a nightmare sent chills down Yuki's spine. He glanced at the bunks and said, "We should switch bunks."

She gasped and her eyes immediately snapped back to him. "Oh, no! I'll be fine, Yuki-san! Most of the time it doesn't even happen anymore! Really, I don't want to put you out!"

His violet orbs gave her a glancing glare. "It's not an inconvenience to ensure that you don't kill yourself by falling out of bed, Tohru-san. Next time I might not be here to catch you." The edge to his voice almost made it sound like a threat…

"All right," she relented, lowering her eyes. "I'm sorry to put you through any trouble, Yuki-san…"

For a long moment, he gave no reply. He merely stared at her before slowly climbing into the top bunk. Wordlessly, she followed suit and was preparing to settle in when she suddenly heard him say, "Don't apologize for something that's not your fault."

"Huh?" Tohru glanced up at the bunk above her, as if trying to see him. When she realized he was not going to answer her this time, she slowly closed her eyes and tried to return to the world of slumber.

* * *

Morning couldn't come soon enough for Tohru. As soon as she closed her eyes, it seemed that she was transported back into her nightmares. Nightmares in which she was forced to watch her mother dying over and over again at the hands of a faceless, shadowy assassin who killed with ruthless efficiency. So it happened for nights on end, and she began to avoid sleeping altogether when she possibly could. 

For nearly a week the routine continued, with nothing to break the monotony her life had taken on. It seemed somewhat absurd, really, that her life had become more or less humdrum, considering the insanity that enveloped her life since she'd found Kyoko's body. The only difference was the fact that she now had to constantly be on her guard, to ensure that nobody would discover her true gender.

That sense of normality seemed almost wrong, and she found herself slipping into a state of depression. Shiori, Junji, and Momiji seemed to sense this, and they all went out of their way to try to cheer up their new friend. While Shiori would try to flatter the cross-dressing girl by attempting to shyly flirt with her (much to Tohru's dismay), Junji and Momiji approached her with a different tactic: involving her in activities that occurred on campus, like sports and dorm get-togethers.

While she appreciated their efforts, Tohru felt they were somewhat misplaced because all she wanted was time to grieve for her mother privately. The only one who seemed to understand this—despite the fact that he had no knowledge of her mother's recent demise—was Yuki. To her amazement, he would sometimes make up excuses for her so that she could have time by herself; it was kind of him, but it only confused her more.

Ever since they had met, the girl had been unable to pinpoint the exact characteristics of her roommate's personality. Most of the time, he was more or less friendly toward her, going out of his way to help her, but he could just as easily switch gears at the most unexpected times, becoming detached and saying something chillingly curt or ignoring her completely. He was a complete enigma to her.

_What makes Yuki-san the way he is?_ she wondered dreamily one afternoon in gym class. However, she was abruptly woken from her thoughts as somebody shouted, "Get it, Tohru!"

The girl looked up just in time to see the volleyball flying toward her. With a startled gasp, she backed up slightly and instinctively hit the ball with her arms, sending it back across the net—for the first time since the game had started.

"Nice job, Sohma—you finally got one!" snickered somebody from her team. However, he was quickly silenced when the ball came toward him and he could only manage to knock it out of bounds.

"Smooth move, Kato!" jeered someone else.

"Shut up," muttered Kato as he jogged off to grab the ball.

"Our serve!" called the server from the opposing team as they rotated positions.

Kato grunted irritably and sent the ball over the net with a nasty spike that nearly knocked the server's head from his shoulders. Only the fact that he had the sense to duck slightly saved him.

The gym teacher sent the boy a withering glare. "Another stunt like that, Aoki, and you'll be sitting in the bleachers with a failing mark."

The blue-eyed blond growled, but muttered, "Yes, Kuzuki-sensei."

After this bit of excitement, the class continued without incident. Thankfully, it did not last much longer. Gym was the last class of the day, and the last of the week. Once Kuzuki dismissed them, all of the boys gratefully headed for the boys' communal showers; Tohru opted to return to her dorm room to shower instead.

She had just walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a comfortable hoodie and a pair of jean shorts, when the door to the room opened rather abruptly to reveal a slightly annoyed Yuki. The cross-dressing girl had barely blinked and already the gray-haired boy had stormed inside, slammed the door behind him, and started to mutter about how annoying the "stupid Cat" was.

Hesitantly, she asked, "Is everything okay, Yuki-san?"

Her roommate glanced over at her and immediately slipped on a calm mask. He flashed her a slight smile and assured her, "Everything's fine, Tohru-san. I'm just a bit tired, that's all."

Tohru knew better than to ask why he was tired. From what she what she had observed in her time at the school, there was some unspoken rule at Sohma Academy that no one dared ask the Sohmas what they did during the time they disappeared—an occurrence that was almost daily. None of her classmates had once inquired what she did in her spare time, probably assuming that she was in on the conspiracy.

After a long moment of silence, she softly asked, "So…are you going to be busy this evening again?"

The violet-eyed boy avoided her gaze. "Yes. I'll be busy for most of the weekend, I'm afraid."

To his surprise, he saw Tohru's shoulders sag a bit. "Oh."

Yuki glanced over at her. "What's wrong?"

The cross-dressing girl offered him a weak smile. "It's nothing. I just…thought it might be nice if we could spend some time getting to know each other. We'll be sharing a room for the year, after all."

Yuki was startled by the earnestness of the statement. Very few people had ever tried to get close to him in his lifetime (with perhaps the exception of his brother, but that was a relationship he didn't even like to consider), and most who did were only interested in what they believed they saw in him. He couldn't help feeling that his roommate was different. Something about the other boy immediately shot down the thought that he only wanted to use Yuki for his status.

He was so deep in thought that Tohru began to worry about how he had perceived her request. _Oh, no. Was that too girly? Maybe boys don't say things like that to each other when they want to be friends! Does Yuki-san think I'm a weirdo? Did I tip him off? Oh, no!_

Time to do some damage control! Immediately, the girl bowed and frantically began to apologize. "I'm sorry, Yuki-san! It was presumptuous of me to think you would want to spend time with someone you hardly know! I shouldn't even ask things like that of you!"

Not for the first time did Yuki silently compare Tohru to his cousin Ritsu: they both seemed to have a nasty habit of apologizing for things they had no control over, or things that weren't particularly offensive. Sighing, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "No, it's all right."

The brunette cut her mantra of regret short and gave him a curious look. "Eh?"

Her roommate turned to look out the window as he quietly told her, "I'm not much of a people person, Tohru-san. Very few people have ever wanted to know the real me, and I have difficulty interacting with others. But…when we both have some free time…maybe we could spend some time together." He glanced over at her with the barest hint of a smile and added, "I'd like to get to know you better, too."

Tohru felt her cheeks pinken at his words and she quickly averted her gaze. "T-that would be nice…"

A loud pounding on their dorm room door broke the moment. Both roommates glanced over in time to see Junji ducking inside. He grinned at the pair and cheerfully greeted them. "Hey, Yuki, Tohru!"

"Hi, Horigome-san!" said Tohru with a slight smile.

"Hello, Horigome-san," intoned Yuki.

"Just thought I'd let you know Kyon-Kyon is back," said the black-haired boy, his grin widening.

"Kyon-Kyon?" wondered the girl aloud.

"Yeah, my roommate, Kyo Sohma," Junji explained. He smirked a bit. "I call him Kyon-Kyon just to get a rise out of him. You should meet him."

_Kyo-kun is finally here?_ she thought as a slight smile lit her face. _Matsuo-san and Suzume-san said that he would be coming as well—I'd almost forgotten! It'll be nice to see him again…_

"I have to change and get going," muttered Yuki suddenly, startling Tohru from her thoughts. There was a dark shadow on his face as he strode toward the bathroom, clothes already in arm. He gave her a short glance, told her, "I won't be at dinner," and shut the bathroom door behind him.

A worried frown marred the girl's face as she wondered, _What could've happened to make him mad? Everything was going so well…_

Junji sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, should've seen _that_ coming…"

"Eh?" Tohru turned to look at her friend. "What do you mean, Horigome-san?"

The dark-haired boy gave her a considerate glance. "It's a well known fact that Yuki and Kyon-Kyon aren't exactly best friends. In fact, they can hardly stand the sight of each other. When they're in the same room, it usually comes to blows."

She felt a pang of disappointment. "But…why…?"

Junji shrugged. "Dunno. Guess they just piss each other off, that's all." Glancing over at his new friend's dejected expression, he decided it was time to remedy the situation. He reached out and grabbed Tohru's arm. "C'mon. I'll bet you and Kyo will hit it off right away."

The surprised girl could do little more than stumble behind the boy as he dragged her across the hall. Junji stopped outside his room to quickly duck inside with a grin. "Hey, Kyon-Kyon!"

A growl could be heard from inside. "I thought I told you never to call me that!"

"Aw, don't be such a baby!" jeered Junji.

Tohru thought she heard Kyo mutter something under his breath. Then, "What the hell do you want, Horigome?"

"Got somebody for you to meet—the latest addition to our little school," the other boy informed him. He quickly ducked outside and grabbed the cross-dressing girl by the arm again. "C'mon!"

"No, Horigome-san, I—" Her protest was cut short as she was unceremoniously dragged into the room. She locked eyes with Kyo, who was sitting on the lower bunk with a book and looked as startled as she felt, and gave a tentative wave. "Um, hello…"


	7. Uneasy Feelings

**Author's Note:** Thanks to **Lucinda the Maid, Skye, NeonBlackFrog, Manuca, hellfire,**and **Willow Evenstar** for their reviews. I really appreciate the feedback.

Sorry it took so long to get this chapter posted, but I've been really busy as of late in real life. That, and the fact that school starts for me next week have been sapping me of all my inspiration (although I _was_ inexplicably struck last night and wrote over half of an upcoming chapter—go figure -.-;;). Not to mention that my new class load consists of numerous upper-200-level, required courses—which all have the toughest teachers, of course. My least favorites of said-load would have to be Intro to Micro Economics (with a teacher who's known to give _everyone_ except the star student D's) and Applied Calculus I (math is _not_ my strong suit). That means that updates might not be any more frequent in the future.

Ahem, I guess I should get back on track with regard to the story, ne?

Well, I figured that a few cultural notes would be in order regarding a couple of items that come up in this chapter: **negima yakitori** is sort of like a shish-kabob with chunks of grilled chicken and leeks; **Gomoku** is a traditional Japanese board game that's played with Go pieces and a Go board (visit to Wikipedia for a better explanation); and **Sangoroku** is another type of board game with two variations, one being similar to backgammon and the other being like Snakes and Ladders (again, see Wikipedia for more information).

With that said, on with the story.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters. I only own the non-canon characters nobody recognizes._

* * *

**Shôjo Fukuzai**

**Chapter 7: Fuan na Kimochi**

Through Junji, Tohru and Kyo were forced to act as first-time acquaintances. It wasn't really that difficult for them, though, considering that they had only just met a week prior. The difficulty for Tohru was that she had so many burning questions she wanted to ask her cousin about what had happened since the funeral, but was forced to hold them back because of Junji's presence.

As they went to the cafeteria for dinner, Tohru watched with a slight smile as Junji and Kyo walked ahead of her, the former teasing his roommate about avoiding the negima yakitori offered as one of their choices while the latter grumbled something about how leeks were disgusting. It was nice to know that Kyo got along well with some people (even if it meant he was always growling at them). After hearing that Kyo couldn't get along with Yuki, she had worried that he was something of a recluse.

Her mind briefly drifted back to what Junji had told her earlier, after seeing Yuki's display of annoyance that seemed to stem from the mere mention of the orange-haired boy. _"Yuki and Kyon-Kyon aren't exactly best friends… They can hardly stand the sight of each other. When they're in the same room, it usually comes to blows…"_

It wasn't the first time she had seen her roommate's icy mask slip, but it was the first time she had seen him act in a way that wasn't friendly or cold. She had almost begun to believe it was impossible to ruffle Yuki's feathers about anything. But after seeing his reaction to the mere mention of Kyo, she had to wonder what sort of bad blood existed between them, and why.

_Why do Yuki-san and Kyo-kun dislike each other so much? Did something happen between them when they were younger? Are they rivals over something? _While rivalry seemed like the most logical theory to her, she couldn't possibly think of anything that Yuki would bother to compete for. The gray-haired boy struck her as someone who thought that competition was worthless.

But what else could have caused the bitterness that she could see in Kyo's eyes every time Yuki's name was brought up, or the annoyance Yuki had displayed earlier?

She was jarred from her thoughts when a shriek of delight suddenly rang through the cafeteria. "Kyo-kun!"

Everyone looked up—Kyo with a slightly panicked expression—as Kagura Sohma stepped forward. She looked a little love-struck as she stood there, her hands clasped in front of her as she gazed at the orange-haired boy with an elated smile on her face, and her gray eyes twinkling with something that could only be described as enchantment.

"K-Kagura…" stammered Kyo, looking a bit pale as he unconsciously took a step back. An encounter with the schizoid Boar was the last thing he needed—or wanted—right now.

"Kyo-kun!" said Kagura slowly as tears sparkled in her eyes.

_Oh, Kagura-san likes Kyo-kun!_ Understanding dawned on Tohru as she watched the older girl jog toward the orange-haired boy. She couldn't help smiling slightly. Kagura must have really liked Kyo a lot if she was this worked up about his return.

Her thoughts were stilled, though, as she saw Kagura suddenly—and rather violently—grab Kyo by the arm and tackle him to the ground. His tray of food went flying through the air, and Junji simply reached out and caught it in mid-air, as if entirely used to this phenomenon. In a voice that seemed somewhat distorted, Kagura grated out, _"Where have you been? I missed you!"_

"Get off me!" Kyo growled as he tried to push the dark-haired girl off him. "What the hell are you trying to pull?!"

There was a dangerous flash in the girl's eyes as she leveled a glare at him. _"You haven't been cheating on me, have you?"_ The dangerous tone of her voice caused him to hesitate before growling again and resuming his attempts to get out from underneath her.

_Are Kagura-san and Kyo-kun…dating?_ wondered Tohru, rather bamboozled by the entire display. She wasn't sure she had ever seen anything quite like this.

"How could I be cheating on you?" grumbled the boy as he finally escaped her grasp. "We aren't even dating!"

"_Kyo-kun…"_ growled Kagura in her dangerous voice.

As the darker-haired girl prepared to take out her frustrations on the object of her affections, Momiji popped up beside them and piped up, "Hi, Tohru!"

"M-Momiji-kun!" Tohru glanced frantically from the blond boy to Kagura and Kyo. "What is Kagura-san doing to Kyo-kun?!"

"Don't worry, Tohru," advised the younger boy with a cheeky smile. "That's just Kagura's way of showing affection. She really loves Kyo!"

"T-then why is she…?!" Tohru couldn't even bring herself to finish the question.

"Kagura has something of a split personality," explained Momiji. "Especially where Kyo is concerned. But she would never _really_ hurt him too badly. She usually snaps back before she breaks anything."

Why was it that thought didn't seem all that comforting? But Tohru realized that perhaps Momiji was right, because, just as suddenly as Kagura's rampage had begun, it was over. The poor boy had numerous bruises that were beginning to form and seemed a bit disoriented at the moment, but Kagura had gathered him into her arms and was murmuring quietly to him.

"Does—does this happen often?" asked the cross-dressing girl finally as she watched Kyo slowly climb to his feet and brush himself off while Kagura shot him a regretful look and mumbled a quiet apology.

"Not that often," admitted Junji as he stepped closer. "But Kagura seems to have a fetish for beating the hell out of Kyon-Kyon. It usually happens when he's been gone for more than a few hours." He shot her a cheerful smile. "Never a dull moment at Sohma Academy!"

Hatsuharu watched as the newcomers made their way to the table where he had been sitting with Kagura and Momiji. He looked straight at Tohru as he asked, "Where's Yuki?"

The girl's eyes darkened slightly and she looked away. "Yuki-san said he wouldn't be joining us at dinner, Hatsuharu-san. I think he said he had plans for this weekend, too…"

"Oh." Hatsuharu sounded a little disappointed, but didn't press the subject any further. Instead, the table's occupants simply ate their meal without another mention of Tohru's roommate. Conversation centered around their curricular activities, like the difficulty of Hatsuharu and Momiji's algebra test that afternoon, or Tohru's brief moment of volleyball triumph in gym.

After dinner, Junji announced that he had made plans to watch some movies with a few of his friends and jogged off to join them in the activities center. Kagura, Hatsuharu, and Momiji reluctantly informed Tohru that they also had plans for the evening and slowly took their leave as well. Soon only Tohru and Kyo remained.

Tohru was surprised that her cousin hadn't taken off as well. Scuffing her sneaker on the sidewalk, she asked, "Don't you have plans, too, Kyo-kun?"

"Not really," answered the orange-haired boy, glancing up at the sky. "Why?"

This might have been her only chance to spend time alone with Kyo, she realized, without someone around to overhear the questions she had concerning the funeral, and yet she hesitated. Surely he would be willing to tell her anything he knew…but what if he wanted to keep up pretenses and decided against it…?

Kyo grew annoyed by the lapse of silence that ensued. He could see from the expression on the brunette's face that something was on his mind, but he bit his lip in hesitation. Indecisive people were a pain to deal with. "What do you want to say? Just spit it out, already!"

The irritation in his voice spurred her to blurt out, "Could you tell me what happened?"

"Huh?" The orange-haired boy stared at her in confusion.

A lump formed in Tohru's throat as her thoughts drew her back to events of nearly a week earlier. "C-could you tell me what happened…after the funeral?"

Understanding dawned on the ruby-eyed boy as he gazed at his cousin. So _that's _what was bothering him. No wonder he'd hesitated—he knew it could compromise their situation if anyone overheard any conversation pertaining to Kyoko's funeral. With a resigned sigh and a quick glance around to see if anyone was watching, he turned to the other boy and said, "C'mon. Let's go somewhere to talk."

So they went up to the roof of the dormitory. It was a bit nerve-racking for Tohru, but Kyo assured her it was perfectly safe. He told her that nobody ever came up to the dorm roof and that nobody would be able to listen in without his knowledge. An endless stream of questions seemed to flow from her mouth. What had they done with her mother's ashes? Would Suzume and Matsuo be contacting her in the future? Would she be able to visit her mother's final resting place? Were they any closer to finding out who the murderer was?

Her cousin had a concise answer for everything. Her mother's ashes had been placed in their family's traditional gravesite, not that of the Honda family with Katsuya's ashes (as Kyoko had always wanted). Suzume and Matsuo probably wouldn't be contacting her until the entire ordeal was over—in a best-case scenario. There was very little chance she could visit her mother's final resting place in the near future. And they had yet to find anything to lead them to the murderer.

All of the answers dismayed Tohru and she felt tears building in her eyes. The whirlwind of events that had occurred during the past two weeks was enough to make anyone's head spin, but the knowledge that she wouldn't be able to properly mourn for her mother by visiting the gravesite caused her grief to multiply. _No…_

"Man, you're such a crybaby," grumbled Kyo under his breath. Then he reached into his pocket and produced a tissue; he offered it to Tohru. "Here. Blow your nose or something."

She quietly thanked him and used the proffered tissue, quietly blowing her nose before stuffing it into the pocket of her hoodie. The cross-dressing girl turned to look at him with slightly red eyes. "So…what am I supposed to do now, Kyo-kun?"

"Dunno," he muttered and glanced up at the sky. "You'll have to keep hiding your ties to Grandmother and Grandfather for a while longer."

"I don't know how long I'll be able to keep this up," she told him truthfully. "I'm not a very good actor…" But she was obviously better than she'd originally thought. After all, she had yet to be approached by someone accusing her of masquerading as the opposite sex…

Kyo gave her a sideways glance. "You didn't seem to have much trouble pretending you didn't know me."

Tohru blushed slightly. "Well…I don't really know you that well, Kyo-kun. We only met a week ago…"

The orange-haired boy snorted. "Yeah, whatever."

_But maybe we can change that,_ thought the girl as she gazed at her cousin thoughtfully. _I want to get to know Kyo-kun better—and Yuki-san, too. I want to know all of the Sohmas better. I hope that I can…_

* * *

Tohru inhaled deeply, and smiled as the cool, crisp November air filled her lungs. Even though she had to wear her school-issued black sweater, the weather was still temperate enough that she didn't need a heavy jacket. Without a cloud in the sky, she truly believed that this would be a good day.

It was Saturday afternoon, and she had made plans meet up with Junji, Kyo, Momiji, and Naruto (who was somewhat indifferent to the entire situation) so that they could go into town after classes. She just had to go back to the dorm to change into something more comfortable. If she saw Yuki, she had every intention of inviting him along on their little excursion.

_It seems like I've been here for so long,_ thought Tohru as she walked up to the second floor of the boys' dormitory. _It's hard to believe it's only been two months since…then… But I…like it here… Even though I have to hide who I really am, my friends are very kind…_

In her two months at the Sohma Academy, the girl had found that most of the Sohmas attending were in fact very personable with her. Perhaps it was because they felt a sense of obligation, being she _was_ a distant cousin to most of them, but she hoped that they were going beyond a familial duty and reaching out to her for the fact that they had a genuine affinity for her.

The only one of the Sohmas she had yet to befriend was the girl that Naruto had warned her away from: Rin. She had only caught glimpses of the older girl from across the cafeteria a few times when she sat with Kyo or Junji away from the rest of the Sohmas. The penetrating gaze she received was one that made her decide that perhaps Naruto had had a point; Rin might be someone she'd want to avoid if she could help it.

Of the remaining Sohmas, she had found herself growing closest to Kyo, Momiji, and Yuki. She spent the most time with them, she reasoned, so it was only natural that she would gravitate more toward them than the others. Each of the relationships was tentative at best, but she fervently hoped that they would deepen as they got to know each other even better.

Tohru spent much of her free time with Momiji, playing games at the activities center. She found his youthful exuberance absolutely adorable, and often found herself thinking of him as she might a younger brother. His favorite game to play with her remained chess, but for a change of pace they sometimes played Gomoku or Sugoroku (once she learned how to play them). As a switch, she taught him—along with Kyo, Yuki, Hatsuharu, and some of her other new friends—to play Rich Man, Poor Man.

Kyo had enjoyed learning to play the game the most, she suspected, because whenever they broke out the cards, he would immediately demand that Yuki join in. She thought that it had something to do with his obsessive need to be the best Yuki at everything he did. Unfortunately for her cousin, nine times out of ten he would lose to someone, or Yuki would simply refuse to play.

_Speaking of whom…_ Tohru opened the door and glanced around her room for a moment. To her dismay, Yuki was nowhere to be seen. Her shoulders sagged a bit. It had been a bit presumptuous of her to assume that he would even be around that afternoon, but she had hoped…

She and her roommate had spent a few weekends together since they discussed the idea shortly after Kyo's return in September, but sometimes she felt as though she still knew next to nothing about the gray-haired boy. No matter how much time they spent together, she always sensed that he was keeping something from her. All of the Sohmas were.

_Not even Kyo-kun and Momiji-kun share everything about themselves with me,_ thought the girl with a dejected sigh as she pulled off her school sweater. She pulled a thick navy sweatshirt with a faded Romaji decal and a pair of worn jeans—more of Saburo's hand-me-downs—out of her drawer. _No matter how much I learn about them, the Sohmas always hold something back. Does it have anything to do with the family's yakuza activities…?_

As much as Tohru hated to consider the possibility that her new friends might be involved with the gangs that were openly affiliated with the Sohma family, she knew there was a distinct possibility. It _might_ explain their unpredictable and sometimes lengthy absences. But it was hard to picture people like Momiji or Yuki—even tough-talking Kyo—as gangsters.

After changing in the bathroom, Tohru paused to gaze at her reflection in the mirror. Gently, she fingered a few strands of hair. She needed a haircut soon; her hair was starting to get long again. Akitoki had warned her against letting it get too lengthy, lest someone begin to suspect her true gender. Though she had seen a few boys with hair longer than her own, she didn't want anyone to see her hairstyle as "girly."

Then she glanced down and checked her watch again. It was already time for her to meet the others. She couldn't wait to see if Yuki would show up any longer.

With a deep sigh, the blue-eyed girl slowly started to head for the quad, where Junji had told her to meet them. She had almost reached her destination when she rounded the corner and bumped into someone.

Stumbling back a few paces, the cross-dressing girl immediately bowed and apologized. "I'm sorry! I should've been looking where I was going!"

"That's all right, Tohru-kun," said a familiar feminine voice. Looking up, she was startled to see that it was Kana. Standing nearby was Hatori. Kana gave her a knowing smile as she added, "I wasn't looking where I was going, either."

"Kana-san," stammered Tohru, her throat suddenly dry.

The girl had done everything in her power to avoid going to the infirmary ever since she had laid eyes on Kana Sohma, and so far she had done a commendable job. Unfortunately, she hadn't calculated the possibility of a meeting outside the clinic into the equation.

"What are you still doing on campus on such a beautiful day?" demanded Kana, a mock-serious glint in her violet eyes. "You should be out with your friends doing something, not associating with the school medical staff!"

The uneasy feeling that being around Kana created had struck Tohru once again, full force. She had no idea why; the only thing she knew for certain was that she had to get away from the young woman.

"I was just going to meet my friends," said the girl with a tight smile.

"Good for you," Kana told her. She reached over and gently took the school doctor's hand, gazing up at him lovingly. "Hatori-sensei and I were just out for a walk."

Then she considered something as she turned back to the girl. "Oh, I don't think you've met Hatori-sensei, have you, Tohru-kun?"

"I'm sorry, I don't think we have met," replied Tohru uneasily.

"That's easily fixed!" Kana gestured between Hatori and the girl. "Hatori-sensei, this is Tohru Sohma-kun. Tohru-kun, this is Hatori Sohma-sensei."

The girl quickly bowed. "It's nice to meet you, Hatori-sensei."

"Likewise, I'm sure," responded the doctor, though his hazel gaze was critical. Tohru felt herself starting to sweat until he turned to the young woman on his arm. "I hate to cut this short, but I really should get back to the infirmary."

Kana pouted at him. "But you've been cooped up in there all week, Sensei! I'm sure Iseya-san can handle a few kids with runny noses."

Even as inattentive as Tohru could sometimes be, she could see the easy out Hatori was almost handing her. Bowing to both of the adults, she quickly said, "I'm sorry, but I really have to be going. My friends are already waiting for me."

Kana glanced over. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you late, Tohru-kun." She offered the girl a smile that was slightly unsettling for some reason Tohru couldn't fathom. "You should stop by the infirmary sometime, then we can talk more. I'd really like to get to know you better…"

Something about the way the woman looked at her made Tohru nervous. The girl bowed once more. "Of course. Now I really must be going. Goodbye, Kana-san, Hatori-sensei!" With that, she walked away from the couple as fast as her feet would carry her.

Upon reaching the quad, she saw Momiji waving enthusiastically, Junji smirking as he gave her a slight salute, Naruto looking on apathetically, and Kyo standing with his arms crossed impatiently. Jogging over to them, she huffed, "Sorry I'm late…"

"No sweat," Junji assured her. "Kyon-Kyon and I just got here."

"Don't call me Kyon-Kyon," growled the orange-haired boy in annoyance.

Naruto chose to remain silent, and instead watched as Junji and Kyo began to bicker about the black-haired boy's nickname for the carrot-top.

Only Momiji seemed to notice the slight pallor to their blue-eyed friend's skin. Worriedly, the blond boy asked, "Are you all right, Tohru? You look like a little pale."

"I'm fine! Really, don't worry about me!" Tohru said as cheerfully as possible, though a few lines of worry creased her brow. If Momiji could read her this easily, did that mean that Kana had been aware of her discomfort as well?

"Whatever," muttered Kyo to something Junji said that went unnoticed by Momiji and Tohru. He turned to glare at his first cousin. "You ready, or what?"

"Yes!" The girl jumped to attention and they started off.


	8. An Unexpected Invitation

**Author's Note:** Thanks to **kitsunedemon, Aria's star, NeonBlackFrog, Takumi4ever, Lucinda the Maid, **and **stephanimegirl** for their kind reviews. As always, they fuel my productivity and inspire me to keep plugging along.

I'm flattered that you guys want to keep reading and want faster posting, but as I said in the last chapter, **updates will be slowed because of my university courses**. My classes are going to be difficult this semester, and I'd like to keep my GPA up. I'm already swamped with work I should be doing instead of posting this.

Ahem, now back to story-related business.

I know that some of you made questions/comments about the way the story is going, and I decided that maybe it was time to address them. _**kitsunedemon**,_ you wanted to know why Tohru seemed awfully jumpy around Kana when there was no apparent reason; this will be addressed in later chapters. _**Takumi4ever**_, Tohru does make a horrible boy, but for the purposes of the story, I'm taking a note from some cross-dressing mangas like _W Juliet_ and _Hana-Kimi_ and having everyone be too dense/preoccupied to notice. **_Lucinda the Maid, _**you also commented that Kyo seemed a little bit distant. I suppose he is, but he feels a sort of familial duty to hang around with Tohru sometimes, and as time passes she'll grow on him.

On a slightly unrelated note, I went back overthe last chapter with a fine-toothed comb (hope it's better now) and changed the title because I realized it was totally irrelevent to the story. This chapter title got a makeover, too; it was originally supposed to be "Mishiranu Hito no Kage/A Stranger's Shadow," but I decided "An Unexpected Invitation" sounded better. That said, happy reading!

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters. I only own the characters nobody's seen anywhere but in this story._

* * *

**Shôjo Fukuzai **

**Chapter 8: Totsuzen Sasoi**

Tohru sighed and stretched carefully, thoroughly satisfied with herself. It had been difficult, but she had finally managed to finish writing her final tests. With them out of the way, she could finally start to relax a little.

_Final tests for the semester are always difficult,_ she thought to herself, smiling slightly. _But I think I did really well this time. Yuki-san has been helping me to study a lot lately—and Arakida-san helped me, too…_

Yuki _had_ been going out of his way to spend more time with her, Tohru had noted, but it still seemed that, more often than not, he was off participating in what he called "extracurricular activities"—just like the rest of the Sohmas. And no matter how much she learned about him, she still sensed that he was keeping something from her. But Tohru didn't let that worry her; she was merely content to spend time with her roommate as she tried to befriend him and the other Sohmas.

"Those tests were too hard!" complained the blond boy who sat in front of her, leaning over onto his desk with a groan. "I'm never gonna get into a good university!"

"You should be more attentive in cram school, Aoki-kun," chided Shiori as she leaned forward. Then she turned to look at Tohru with a smile. "How do you think you did, Tohru-kun?"

"I think I did all right, Arakida-san," the short-haired girl told her with a smile. "Thank you for helping me study when you could."

A slight blush pinkened Shiori's cheeks as she looked away. "It was nothing, Tohru-kun. I was happy to help." Then she smiled even more brightly at the other girl as she added, "If you ever need help, don't hesitate to ask. I'm never too busy to help you, Tohru-kun…"

Tohru did her best not to flush at the shy flirting that Shiori was implementing. She really did enjoy having Shiori as a friend. The brown-eyed girl was kind, sweet, and honest—everything a boy could want in a girlfriend. But the direction that Shiori wanted their relationship to go couldn't have been more wrong to Tohru.

More than once, the cross-dressing girl had tried to hint that she wasn't interested in Shiori (or any girl, for that matter) _that_ way. The other girl refused to be deterred, though, and continued to focus her attentions on Tohru, as if hoping that she would change her mind. It would have been so much easier if she would only tell Shiori the truth, she knew, but then she would compromise her situation at Sohma Academy. So, for the time being, she endured Shiori's attentions and did everything in her power to dissuade her.

_Maybe it's better if I don't tell Arakida-san,_ the blue-eyed girl tried to reason to herself, forcing a slight smile. _It would hurt her deeply—and embarrass her—if she knew I'm a girl._

"Thank you, Arakida-san," said Tohru. "I appreciate the offer."

"I've told you before, Tohru-kun—call me 'Shiori,'" the other girl instructed with a coy smile. "We've known each other for almost four months. We shouldn't be so distant."

What Shiori didn't seem to realize was that Tohru continued to use her family name and the most polite suffix because she wanted to maintain distance. If she started to call the other girl by her first name, it would only encourage her to believe their prospective (in Shiori's mind) "relationship" was going somewhere.

"I think it's kind of sweet, Shiori-chan," interjected another voice, causing both girls to glance over at the blond girl sitting in front of Shiori. A slight smile graced her lips as she added, "It means he respects you. Tohru Sohma-kun is a gentleman."

_Thank you, Ikeuchi-san,_ thought Tohru, nearly heaving a sigh of relief. If nothing else, Chie Ikeuchi provided a distraction for Shiori's attentions. Unbeknownst to her, it was because Chie was sympathetic and knew that Shiori could be a tad overbearing when it came to getting something she wanted.

"Hmm, I never thought of that." Shiori looked thoughtful for a moment before she smiled at Tohru again. "I guess you can call me 'Arakida-san' for now, but someday I'd like it if you could call me by name, Tohru-kun."

"O-oh, well I…" Tohru tried not to blush.

She was saved from any further embarrassment (in her current situation) when Junji suddenly strode into the room and called, "Hey, Tohru! You done yet?"

The geometry teacher looked up from the tests and glowered at the dark-haired boy. "Don't you have tests to be writing, Horigome?"

"Nope, finished 'em all," chirped Junji cheerfully as he strode down the aisle until he reached Tohru's desk. He gazed at her expectantly. "You done yet, man?"

Shiori favored the black-haired boy with a withering look. "Shouldn't you be out carousing with the other lowlifes from your own level, Horigome? Why are you in here bothering Tohru-kun?"

"Didn't know you were getting so chummy with Tohru, Arakida." Junji smirked a bit. "When's the wedding gonna be?"

"Wait a minute…" stammered Tohru, her cheeks reddening.

To her horror, Shiori actually seemed to be contemplating a date. "When I get married, I'd like it to be in April or May. Maybe just after Hanami. And Tohru-kun would make a handsome groom…"

"I don't think—" Tohru didn't like the way this was going.

"And you'd make an equally handsome bride, Arakida," Junji jeered.

One could almost see the veins popping out in Shiori's forehead at the terminology. "Are you implying that I look _masculine,_ Horigome! How _dare_ you say I would be _handsome!"_ She held up a fist threateningly. "I'm a _perfect_ lady!"

"It depends on what you mean by 'handsome,'" interjected Chie, catching everyone's attention. "In the English language, it used to be a compliment to call a woman handsome. It was another way of implying she had great beauty."

"Really?" Shiori seemed to deflate a bit as she pondered this.

Junji took advantage of her silence to turn back to Tohru. "So, you feel up to a game of Rich Man, Poor Man? Momiji, Oishi, and Kyon-Kyon said they want a rematch from last time."

Tohru shook her head with a weary sigh. "I'm sorry, Horigome-kun, but I'm kind of tired. I think I'll just go back to my room and lie down for a little while. Maybe we could play later this evening."

The black-haired boy smirked. "If you can get Yuki to come, I'm sure Kyon-Kyon would be more than happy to postpone the game, if only because it'll give him the chance to try to kick Yuki's ass at something. Too bad for Kyon-Kyon Yuki'll probably wipe the floor with him…"

Shiori _hmph_ed at Junji's statements. "You're so crude, Horigome, using such language in the presence of ladies!"

"What ladies?" Junji challenged, earning him a swat from Shiori.

"I'll see you guys later," Tohru said slowly as she started to walk out of the classroom. Shiori, Chie, and Junji called out their goodbyes and waved as she left.

* * *

After exchanging her gray school shoes for her sneakers in the shoe locker room, the girl slowly made her way to the boys' dorm. As she tiredly inserted her key into the lock, she thought, _It'll be nice to change and rest for a little while…_

However, as soon as she opened the door, she found something that she definitely knew shouldn't have been there. A man sat at the desk in her room, wearing a vibrant vermilion outfit that reminded her of a very long tunic with shiny gold buttons, underneath which seemed to be a white top with longer sleeves and a mandarin collar. He had long platinum hair—longer than most women—and pale gold eyes. There was something familiar about him—about his effeminate beauty, but she was too shocked by his presence to recognize the resemblance.

She blinked at him for a moment, unsure of what to do. Logic dictated that the appropriate reaction would be a very feminine scream at the sight of a strange man sitting in her room, but somehow he didn't seem all that threatening. Taking a deep breath, she was about to speak, when the man interrupted.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," said the man, standing up rather abruptly. He favored her with a genuine smile. "I was hoping that I would be able to find my brother here."

"Brother?" repeated the girl in confusion. "Whose brother are you?"

The man stared at her in disbelief. "I can't believe Yuki wouldn't mention me! How could he be so callous as to forget about me—his own flesh and blood!"

"Yuki-san is your brother?" Tohru asked.

"I'm cut to the quick!" gasped the platinum-haired man, putting a hand to his heart. He gazed at her beseechingly. "Please tell me that you've at least heard my name! I couldn't bear it if my dear little brother wouldn't even speak my name!"

"I-I'm sorry, Yuki-san-no-oniisan! I'm sorry I don't know your name!" Tohru apologized, panicked. She really didn't know how to deal with someone so histrionic. It seemed impossible that he could be related to someone as cool and collected as Yuki.

"It's perfectly all right," replied the man, suddenly no longer offended. With a sigh, he smoothed his hair back and turned to her with a secretive smile. "Since my dear brother has failed to mention me, I shall introduce myself. My name is Ayame Sohma."

Still a bit bewildered by his hysterics, she stared at him with wide eyes and almost automatically responded, "I-I'm Tohru…Sohma…" (It was still somewhat awkward to introduce herself by her newly adopted family name, especially in such a state of shock.)

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tohru-kun." The man—Ayame—bowed deeply to her.

Then, before she realized what was happening, he was suddenly circling her with a calculating look. Afraid that he sensed something odd about her, the girl stood stock-still, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. Her heartbeat thudded in her ears as he stopped in front of her and hooked a finger under her chin, turning her head from side to side with the same speculative look. What was he doing?

She saw Ayame lean in close as he smiled and asked, "Have you ever considered being a model, Tohru-kun?"

"_Eh!"_ The girl's eyes almost popped out of their sockets and a blush darkened her cheeks. What kind of question was that!

Ayame turned her head to the left slightly again. "You have such beautiful bone structure. It's so delicate—almost like a woman's."

Tohru made a panicked sound in the back of her throat and her spine went ramrod straight. He was getting too close to the truth for comfort.

"I'll bet you would look cute in a dress," added the platinum-haired man, his smile growing. "I think I've got something in my shop that would suit a boy about your—"

A bag of some sort suddenly slammed into the side of Ayame's head, ending man's proposition and his inspection of the cross-dressing girl; a moment later, he was lying on the floor, writhing. Tohru blinked and slowly turned to see her roommate standing in the doorway with a disgusted expression as he glared down at the man on the ground.

"Y-Yuki-san…" she said, doing her best not to tremble in shock.

"I apologize for my brother's actions, Tohru-san," said the gray-haired boy. "He's an idiot who doesn't know when to quit."

"You can't mean that, Yuki!" lamented Ayame as he stood, giving his younger brother the most pitiful look he could muster. "Our bond of brotherhood is not something that is meant to be trampled upon—it must be embraced!" He held his arms open wide and approached the boy. "Come—allow me to express my brotherly love for you!"

Yuki easily held the man at bay by extending a hand to keep him at arm's length. "Not on your life."

Watching as Ayame began to bemoan his brother's lack of responsiveness, Tohru began to realize that perhaps he was simply exaggerating his emotions. Maybe it was just his way of expressing himself, she thought.

After a few moments of listening to his dirge, she saw Yuki wave a hand to stave off any more of his older brother's lamentations. "What are you doing here, Niisan?"

Ayame looked affronted. "Why, I'm shocked you would even ask such a question, Yuki! Do I really need a reason to visit my beloved brother?"

Yuki glared pointedly at the platinum-haired man. "When you show up out of the blue, yes!"

While Ayame tried to reason with his brother and Yuki attempted to shoot him down, Tohru watched their exchanges with a deep frown. She had never seen her roommate lose his cool like this, except where Kyo was involved. The girl couldn't begin to fathom what could possibly turn two brothers—or at least one of the pair—against one another. It had always been one of her fondest wishes to have a sibling.

"Out!" A sudden shout from Yuki startled the girl.

Blinking, she looked up just in time to see the violet-eyed boy shoving his older brother out of the room. She heard Ayame protesting loudly, but Yuki didn't respond. Instead, he leaned against the door with all his weight, turned the lock, and slid the deadbolt into place. Only when they could hear the man's footfalls as he walked away did Yuki relax.

Heaving a sigh, he glanced over at Tohru. He offered her a slight smile as he once again said, "I apologize for my brother's actions, Tohru-san. He was out of line."

Remembering the man's words, the cross-dressing girl flushed slightly and her eyes darted away. "T-that's okay."

"No, it's not," the gray-haired boy insisted. "He shouldn't have even made an implication that you should wear a dress."

Her blush darkened. _If only you knew, Yuki-san…_ "I-it's not really so terrible. I've…had worse things said about me…"

A shadow formed over her face as she thought back to all of the teasing she had endured as a child. She had never understood why she was ostracized by so many of her schoolmates as a child, but over the years she had come to accept it. Kyoko had always encouraged her to be better than those who teased her, and told her that it was nothing to be ashamed of.

Tohru looked down, her bangs shielding her eyes from view. _Mom… It's been almost four months now… I miss you so much, and yet…I'm trying to be happy in my new life. It's what you would've wanted…right…?_

Kyoko was never far from her daughter's thoughts. Though she sometimes let herself get distracted by the goings-on of the students of Sohma Academy, Tohru always seemed to focus on her mother whenever she was alone for an extended period of time. Nothing could wipe the sight of her mother's lifeless body lying on the kitchen floor of their apartment from her mind, though time seemed to be slowly dulling the memory (she doubted it would ever vanish).

Kyoko had always told her that it was better to create new memories, rather than allow one's self be consumed by living in the past. Tohru thought that she was perhaps letting her mother down by holding on to the past, but she consoled herself with the fact that she had to hold on to some of the precious memories, because—as it stood—they were all she had right now.

Even still… Tohru felt the pinprick of tears behind her eyes and quickly reached up to scrub them away before they had the chance to fall. She couldn't start crying! It might make Yuki think she was girly, and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Are you all right?" asked Yuki in concern, watching as his roommate tried to wipe away the tears. Wondering what was going through the other boy's head, he gingerly reached out and touched his shoulder. "Tohru-san?"

"I'm fine, Yuki-san," stammered the girl, glancing up at him. Her teal-blue eyes were still bright with tears, but she forced a smile. "Don't worry about me."

Still not convinced that his roommate was feeling entirely well, the gray-haired boy glanced to the door. Ayame would probably be a safe distance from here by now… He turned back to Tohru and quietly asked, "Do you want to take a walk? To clear your head?"

Her smile grew a touch more genuine. "All right…"

* * *

After doing a quick change of clothes, the two teenagers started to walk the grounds of the campus. They strolled side by side, neither of them making an effort to speak. That was perfectly all right with Tohru. She and Yuki would often go for walks together without saying anything; the silence that elapsed was almost always comfortable. 

As they passed the gymnasium, Tohru stared up at the sky. There were thick clouds overhead, looking heavy with moisture. It had already snowed the night before—an unusual occurrence, for mid-December—and she wondered if it would snow again. Good thing most of the snow had already melted…

The thought of melting snow had no sooner crossed her mind than she suddenly started to slip on an unseen patch of ice. Yelping, she fell flat on her back and found herself staring up at the clouds. The world spun for a moment as she blinked before it snapped into focus. She could see Yuki leaning over her worriedly.

"Tohru-san, are you all right!" he asked, searching her face.

"I'm okay," she answered dazedly, struggling to sit up. Aided by Yuki, she attempted to climb to her feet. "Really, I'm—" The girl cried out as pain lanced through her left ankle, forcing her to collapse again.

Having an inkling of what might have happened, Yuki knelt down beside Tohru, rolled up her pant leg, and started to probe her ankle through the sock. When he reached an especially tender spot, Tohru bit her lip in an attempt to muffle a whimper.

"I was afraid of this," muttered the gray-haired boy. He gazed at her with solemn amethyst orbs. "I think you sprained your ankle. We should get you to the clinic as soon as possible, so that Hatori can take a look at it."

Tohru's heartbeat quickened at the thought of seeing Hatori—or Kana—at the infirmary. She tried to protest, but the pain in her ankle eventually forced her to relent. With Yuki supporting her, the pair slowly made their way to the school clinic.

* * *

When Tohru and Yuki arrived at the infirmary, they were surprised to find the school medical staff entertaining two visitors. Iseya, Kana, and Hatori were all talking genially with Ayame and another man Tohru had never met. They all looked up in surprise as the two teens approached them. 

"Yuki-kun, Tohru-kun," Kana greeted them. "What brings you here?"

"Tohru-san sprained his ankle," explained Yuki, glancing over at the school doctor. "I thought Hatori should take a look at it."

"Looks like we came at a bad time, eh, Ha-san?" said the strange man, a slight smile on his lips. He looked around the same age as Ayame, with dark gray-black hair and gray-brown eyes, and was dressed in a dark business suit. "Your office is rife with patients."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your visit!" Tohru would have bowed but for the fact that she was leaning heavily on Yuki.

"You weren't really interrupting anything, Tohru-kun," Kana assured the girl. "Shigure-sensei and Ayame-san just stopped by to speak with Hatori-sensei."

The uneasiness the girl experienced around Kana was briefly put on hold as she glanced over at the guests again. Since she had already met Ayame, the other man must have been Shigure.

"We were just reliving our glory days when we attended classes here at Sohma Academy," said Ayame, putting a hand to his heart. "I was telling Kana-kun about our adventures as the one and only Mabudachi Trio!"

"They really broke the mold when they made us," chuckled Shigure. He and Ayame grinned at each other and bumped fists as they gave each other a thumbs-up and said, "All right!"

_They seem to get along pretty well…_ thought Tohru with a slight smile while Yuki resisted the urge to sigh, wondering, _Who would want another pair of _those _running around?_

"I suppose formal introductions are in order," Hatori said. He gestured between the two men and Tohru. "Tohru Sohma-san, these two are Ayame and Shigure."

After introductions, Hatori instructed Yuki to help Tohru sit on the table in the exam room. Iseya, Kana, and the two visitors all followed. Tohru truly didn't mind, but she felt a bit conspicuous having everyone watching as Hatori examined her ankle.

After a quick check, Hatori told her, "You have a very mild sprain. Just put ice on it and keep off your feet for a day or two. You should be fine by then."

Tohru smiled in relief. It was good to know that she wouldn't be laid up for an extended period of time at least. "Thank you, Hatori-sensei."

"Sounds like you'll be able to do all the fun things you kids love to do during the winter break then," Shigure said cheerily. "Are you and your family going to be doing something over the break?"

The smile slowly faded from the girl's face at the thought of winter break and she bit her lip contemplatively. She had briefly discussed what she would be able to do over the break with Kyo. Much to her chagrin, she was informed that Matsuo and Suzume thought it was in her best interest to remain on campus for the time being. Though she supposed it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, she didn't really like the idea of being alone for the holidays—especially New Year's.

Looking down, her bangs covered her eyes as she informed them, "I'll be staying at school during winter break. My…uncle…thought it would be best for everyone…"

"Your uncle is Yoru Sohma, right?" asked Shigure with a raised eyebrow.

Tohru struggled to remember. The name Yoru definitely rang a bell, and she felt fairly certain that it was Mahiru's (her "mother's") brother's name. "Y-yes…"

The dark-haired man looked thoughtful for a moment before he snapped his fingers. "Yoru-kun and I were schoolmates. Maybe I can talk him into letting you stay with me during winter break."

A panicked look overtook the girl's expression. "Oh, no! I couldn't impose!" She also couldn't afford to let the dark-haired man contact her "uncle" and discover that he was in no way her relative.

"Nonsense," insisted Shigure, giving her a look that brooked no argument. "It would be cruel to force you to stay here while almost everyone else is gone. Besides it would give Yuki-kun someone his own age to talk to while he's staying with me. Then he wouldn't be forced to spend every waking moment alone with an old man like myself."

Tohru shot a look of concern and surprise at her roommate. _Yuki-san isn't going home to spend winter break with his family? But why…?_

"Then it's all settled," Ayame pronounced. "You will stay at 'Gure's house and I will bring along that dress for you to model when I visit! And I'll bring one for you, too, Yuki! Oh, we'll all have such fun!"

"Don't even think about it!" Yuki growled.

Kana and Iseya both giggled at the brother's antics; Hatori gave a resigned sigh; Shigure smirked a bit; and Tohru couldn't help smiling slightly. For some reason, it gave her a warm feeling to see Yuki's cool mask slip once in a while. It made him seem more human if he got flustered sometimes. Besides, he looked sort of cute when he scowled…

Catching her train of thought, the girl quickly derailed it. A faint blush painted her cheeks as she scolded herself. She shouldn't have been having such thoughts about her roommate, because they were a distraction. The last thing she needed while she was pretending to be a boy was to let down her guard. After all, she reminded herself, her mother's murderer was still on the loose.

"I hate to rush out on you like this, but I really need to run some errands this afternoon," Kana broke in, startling Tohru out of her silent rebukes. She flashed a grin at the men before turning to gaze at the girl on the table. Something about the look in her violet eyes caused a chill to run down Tohru's spine. "I hope we see each other again soon, Tohru-kun."

"Right," stammered the girl, plastering a smile on her face.

Iseya glanced the girl over. "Let's get you a bandage for that ankle of yours, Tohru-kun, hmm? Yuki-kun, why don't you help me get him over to the nurse's station…"

As Yuki performed the task asked of him and the pair of teenagers slowly followed Iseya, Hatori exchanged a look with the other two men. Without a word, they filed into his private office. As they seated themselves, they waited until they saw the shadow of another figure in the doorway. Hatori didn't even bother to look up as he said, "Come in, Kureno."

The figure stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He nodded to each of the room's occupants before taking a seat adjacent to them.

"Have you seen any suspicious activity?" asked Hatori with a meaningful glance at the auburn-haired man.

Kureno shook his head. "No. No one's made a move against him yet."

"They haven't made any headway in discovering the identity of the killer yet, either," said Shigure, glancing at the other men. "Whoever it was must have borne a terrible grudge against Kyoko-san."

"It's such a horrible thing to force a child through," Ayame interjected thoughtfully. "Tohru-kun is far too kind to be put through an ordeal like losing his only parent. But he seems so resilient."

"He hides himself very well," Kureno added. "And he gets along rather well with other students here."

"But Honda-kun seems nervous around Kana," Hatori told them.

Kureno raised an eyebrow at the older man. "Do you think he suspects—"

"No," the doctor interrupted, steepling his fingers. "I don't think so. But, regardless, we can't allow Kyoko-san's killer to find her son."


	9. Winter Break at Shigure's House

**Author's Note:** Wow, has it already been a month? I've been so busy I haven't even had time to turn around this semester. I hate to say it, but I probably wouldn't even be updating today if it weren't for the fact that we officially have a Snow Day where I live. That's right, folks: a good old-fashioned Snow Day. That _never_ happens at the university level. However, over the last twelve hours, we've had almost fifteen inches of the white stuff.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand here. Thanks to **DetroitRockCity, Lucinda the Maid, kitsunedemon, stephanimegirl, lilwildcherry, Aria's star, **and **Skye **for the reviews. As always, they're appreciated and serve as fuel when I get discouraged about finishing the story. (And thanks to those of you who've been so understanding about the fact that I can't update as often as I did in the summer. I _do_ have to focus on my studies—especially Calc and Microeconomics; those two are the worst of my load.)

In response to a couple of reviews. To _**Lucinda the Maid**, _don't expect Akito any time soon; Akito _is _slated to appear, but not for quite a while. To _**kitsunedemon**,_ ah...to tell you the truth I never really considered that (I've never seen anything about that in any gender-bending manga I've read, either, come to think of it); let's just say she started letting it go as soon as she started pretending to be a boy, okay? To _**stephanimegirl**_, sorry, but Kyo won't be taking up residence at Shigure's in this story, but they won't really spend a lot of time there anyway; he will be appearing in chapters, though. To _**lilwildcherry**,_ I have read _Girl Got Game/Power!_, but thanks for the suggestion. To _**Aria's star**,_ if you got that from Hatori-tachi's conversation, I didn't mean to confuse you; they were simply discussing Kana's connection to Tohru (which will be revealed at a later date).

Well, on with the story.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of its characters. I only own the non-canon characters nobody recognizes from anywhere else._

* * *

**Shôjo Fukuzai**

**Chapter 9: Fuyu Yasumi Shigure no Ie de**

Packing up her belongings to spend the next two weeks at Shigure's house was rather exciting for Tohru, but it was also nerve-wracking. Very rarely had she gone to visit relatives for an extended period of time while her mother was alive, and the idea of doing it alone made it all the more daunting. Her only consolation was that Yuki would also be there.

Glancing down at her suitcase, the girl cast a long look over the room. She thought she had everything she would need, and anything else she could probably buy with the monetary supplements Matsuo and Suzume had been sending her over the past three and a half months as a sort of allowance. Though she felt guilty taking money from her mother's parents, she knew it was a bit unrealistic to think she could get by without it. After all, very little in life was free, especially considering that she was more or less on her own at Sohma Academy.

_I guess that's everything, then,_ thought Tohru with a heavy sigh. With everything packed up and none of their usual accoutrements sporadically spaced within the room's confines, the room looked rather barren; though she had been trying to keep things tidy by picking up after her disorganized roommate, not seeing even a sock lying forgotten on the floor seemed a bit strange.

_Strange, how I feel so bad about leaving everything here… _A slight smile formed on her lips. _Even though I've only been here for a short time, I have a lot of good memories. And the people are so kind, even if they _are _keeping secrets. But that's okay—everyone keeps secrets…_

Sometimes Tohru had remind herself not to let down her guard, that—no matter how right it felt to be at Sohma Academy with her new friends—she still had to hide herself. Even though things seemed to flow so naturally when she was with Yuki, Kyo, and the others, she couldn't reveal herself—not even to Kyo, who already knew a portion of her secret. It was too dangerous.

The sound of someone knocking on the door startled the blue-eyed girl from her thoughts. Looking over, she called out, "Come in!"

She watched as Kyo walked in. A slight smile lit her face at the sight of her first cousin. "Kyo-kun! What're you doing here?"

Kyo gave her an unreadable look. "I hear you're going to be staying with the Rat and Shigure over winter break."

Tohru nodded and her smile brightened. "Yes. Shigure-san invited me, since I told him I would be staying at the school." Then she realized that his expression hadn't changed; in fact, it seemed that his mouth had tightened at her words. "Why? Is that a bad thing?"

Her orange-haired cousin gave her a dirty look. "Grandmother and Grandfather are displeased with the change of plans. It could make you more vulnerable than you already are. It's possible that…the person…could find you more easily if you get too close to the family…"

The brunette's heart skipped a beat at the idea. It hadn't even occurred to her that her mother's killer might be waiting for her to become close to the family again to find her. Swallowing hard, she asked, "Have they found anything yet?"

Kyo's crimson eyes darted away before he answered, "No. They haven't been able to trace the person yet." He gave her a sober look as he added, "So much time has passed, they think he could be anywhere."

Tohru gazed at him worriedly. "Do you think I should tell Shigure-san I'd rather stay here, Kyo-kun?"

After a moment of careful thought, the orange-haired boy told her, "No, it'd be too suspicious if you backed out now. Just to go to Shigure's—but don't let your guard down…"

"I'll do my best!" agreed Tohru, giving him her best alert look.

"Don't overdo it," ordered Kyo with a sigh, lightly slapping her in the side of the head; she blinked and rubbed her head as she stared at him in surprise. "You're too obvious that way. You've just gotta _be_ more alert, not look like it."

"O-of course," stammered the girl, blushing. "Sorry."

"Feh…" muttered the boy, rubbing the back of his head. Then he gave her a considerate look. "You've never had any self-defense training, have you?"

Curious as to where this was going, the girl cocked her head to the side. "No. Mom never let me learn, but I've always wanted to."

Kyo shook his head as he gazed at the brown-haired teen. _How could his mother be that way? She must've known what kind of people could eventually come looking for them. He should've been trained a long time ago._

Then he looked away as he quietly told her, "I guess I could teach you a few things, if you really wanna learn."

A delighted smile formed on her lips. "Would you? Oh, thank you, Kyo-kun!"

"Yeah, well, it's no big deal," he said, looking away. He glared at her slightly. "It's not like I'm doing it for fun. This is something that all Sohmas are supposed to learn by the time they're ten. You've gotta know at least the basics."

It was all she could do to keep from hugging the boy. She beamed at him as she repeated, "Thank you, Kyo-kun. When can we start?"

A slight smirk curved his lips. "After break."

The girl nodded determinedly. "I'll be ready."

The cousins were interrupted when they suddenly heard a new voice inquire, "What're you doing here, you stupid Cat?" Tohru and Kyo both turned to see Yuki standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he added, "I would've thought you'd be on your way to Shihan's by now."

"What I'm doing is none of your damn business, ya damn Rat!" growled Kyo, holding up a fist angrily.

"Such a witty retort," drawled the gray-haired boy, his tone clearly bored. "I guess I shouldn't have expected an intelligent reply from a stupid Cat."

His orange-haired rival shook his fist and a vein popped out of his forehead. "Say that again, why don't ya, Rat-boy!"

"I refuse to waste my energy on you," replied Yuki caustically, walking into the room. He stopped only when he reached his already-packed suitcases and started to double-check that he had everything he needed.

Kyo glowered at his rival's back, but was interrupted when Tohru timidly said, "Um, excuse me, but…who is Shihan-san?"

"His name is Kazuma Sohma," answered Yuki, not bothering to look up from his task. "He runs a dojo that's not far from the main house. Most Sohmas are trained by him, but the Cat is such a terrible student that Shihan allows him to stay with him because he needs all the practice he can get."

Kyo balled both hands into fists as he barked, "I stay with Shishou 'cause I want to! It's better than spending time with those bastards who run the family!"

The girl glanced between the boys with another confused expression. _Kyo-kun isn't going home to his parents, either? But…why…? Is his family like Yuki-san's? Do all the Sohmas come from families that don't get along?_

Tohru tried to think if she'd ever heard any of the Sohmas at the school talk about their families. She could vaguely recall Momiji telling her about his mother and younger sister, and Kagura mentioning her mother in passing; however, none of the others had so much as mentioned their immediate family. Not even Kyo, whose parents and sister she had met at her mother's funeral.

"You mean they don't welcome you with open arms, so you stay with Shihan to avoid running into people," retorted Yuki, attempting to fold one of his shirts more tightly so that he could close one of his suitcases.

The orange-haired boy snarled as his rage boiled over. "At least _my_ parents accept _me!_ They didn't sell me for their own gain!"

Tohru gasped at her cousin's words. How could he say such a horrible thing! Her eyes flickered to her roommate; his posture was positively rigid for a moment. She watched as he stiffly zipped his suitcase he had been working with shut, grabbed the other, and started to walk toward the door, pushing past Kyo and Tohru.

"Yuki-san…" said the girl, reaching out hesitantly—to do what, she didn't know.

The violet-eyed boy glanced at her coldly out of the corner of his eye. He woodenly told her, "I'll be waiting outside, Tohru-san. Somebody will be coming to pick us up." With that, he slammed the door behind him.

Tohru stared after her roommate with a worried look. She was so caught up in her concern that she was startled when she heard Kyo mutter, "Damn it…"

The blue-eyed girl turned to see him glowering at the floor, muttering something else under his breath in frustration. Deciding that it was probably best not to pursue the issue at hand, she swallowed and moved to grab her suitcases. She offered her cousin a slight smile before she left the room. "I'll see you later, Kyo-kun."

"Yeah," he mumbled, walking out of the room as well. "See ya…"

Tohru felt badly for leaving Kyo standing alone in the hallway, but she was a bit more concerned for Yuki. Nobody should have been delivered a barb like that, even if the other speaker was upset.

After reaching the ground floor, she found Yuki standing outside the dorm. She raced over to him as she called, "Yuki-san!"

He turned to glance at her as she skidded to a halt beside him, panting softly. She gave him another worried look as she asked, "Are you all right, Yuki-san?"

The girl thought she saw a flicker of something in his eyes, but he turned away before she could identify it. "I'm fine. I'm not thin-skinned enough to let that stupid Cat's remarks get to me."

"But…" Tohru bit her lip indecisively.

Yuki turned to her with a slight smile. "Don't worry, Tohru-san. I told you, I'm fine." His smile grew a touch as he added, "But thanks for your concern."

A slight blush pinkened her cheeks and Tohru quickly turned away. Thankfully, she was saved from further embarrassment when she saw someone pulling up in front of the dorm.

"Here's our ride," Yuki told his roommate as he headed toward the car.

Tohru quickly followed. The driver climbed out of the car and walked around to help them put their things in the trunk. She turned to the man and bowed gratefully with a smile. "Thank you."

"Not a problem," the blond man assured her. She did a double-take and was stunned to find that the driver was Nozomu Sohma, the man who had initially driven her to Sohma Academy after Kyoko's funeral.

"Tohru-san?" called Yuki. He had opened the back door of the car and was gazing at her inquisitively. "Are you okay?"

Wondering if her grandparents had had a hand in selecting the driver, or if it was merely a coincidence, Tohru slowly nodded and turned to join her roommate beside the car. "Yeah. Just…a little tired, I guess…"

Though he didn't look entirely convinced, the gray-haired boy merely nodded before climbing into the car. Tohru slid in beside him and prepared for what she assumed would be a short car ride to Shigure's house.

* * *

When they arrived at Shigure's house, Tohru wasn't surprised to see that it was a modestly sized abode in a very traditional style—much like the main Sohma estate, if she remembered correctly. What did surprise her was the fact that Shigure could be seen racing along the porch with a teary-eyed woman racing behind him wailing, _"SENSEI!"_

As the girl and Yuki climbed out of the car, they curiously watched the scene unfolding. While Tohru wondered who the woman was—and why she was chasing Shigure—Yuki rubbed the bridge of his nose and muttered, "Idiot…" under his breath.

"_Please, _Sensei!" bawled the woman, tears streaming down her cheeks as she finally caught up to him. She tugged pleadingly on his dark gray kimono, forcing him to stop as she all but latched herself onto one of his legs. "I need the last ninety pages of the manuscript or the printer will stop publishing your books! _PLEASE!"_

"All right, Mit-chan, I'll get right to work—I promise," he told her as he slowly pried her off his leg. She gazed up at him with a grateful expression—but it quickly fell as he added, "Just as soon as I've finished helping my guests get settled."

"Wha!" The woman stared after Shigure with huge eyes, watching as he pranced over to the newcomers and their car. As realization hit her, she began to tear up again and tugged on her short brown hair with a forlorn cry of, _"Sensei!"_

"W-who is that?" Tohru wondered aloud, a bewildered look on her face.

"That is Mitsuko Kimura-san," answered Nozomu as he pulled the two teens' suitcases from the trunk of the car. He smiled slightly as he handed Tohru her bags. "She's Shigure-sensei's editor. He's a novelist."

"A novelist!" Tohru turned to gaze at Shigure in awe. "I've never met a real novelist before—this is so exciting!"

"It's nice to know that I have at least one fan," said Shigure. Then he scratched his chin a bit as he smiled in satisfaction. "Although, based on my book sales, I'm quite popular with a number of people already…"

"You shouldn't say things like that, Tohru-san," Yuki advised his roommate, sending a withering look in the dark-haired man's direction. "It only serves to inflate his already swollen ego."

Shigure gave his younger cousin his best wounded look as he put a hand to his heart dramatically. "You cut me to the quick, Yuki-kun! I would _never_ allow anything to go to my head! Can I help it if my books have a tendency to be bestsellers?"

"Your ego's already showing," retorted Yuki as he took his suitcases from the blond driver. "If your head was any bigger, you wouldn't be able to fit through your front door."

"Is that any way to greet your host?" asked the novelist, pouting slightly. "After all I've done to take you into my home, you treat me so coldly? Yuki-kun has no heart!"

Tohru chewed on her lip in uncertainty, glancing between the cousins, and then over at Shigure's editor—who was still sobbing hysterically; her head was spinning. Had she made a mistake in accepting the dark-haired man's offer to spend winter break in his home? It seemed a bit silly, really, to think she couldn't survive two weeks with her school roommate and her host, but life had been rather calm as of late. She didn't know if she could handle a lot of stress in addition to worrying whether or not someone would discover her true identity.

"I think it's time I was going," said Nozomu suddenly, startling the girl out of her thoughts. He bowed to each of the teenagers before turning to do the same with the older man. "Shigure-sensei, I hope that we can visit at Sanga-nichi."

Shigure responded in kind. "I'll see you then, Nozomu-kun."

The driver nodded to them all before sliding into the driver's seat and gunning the engine. The three watched as he drove away, and Tohru was left to wonder what significance the first three days of January could possibly have for the Sohma family.

"Well, I suppose you'll want to start unpacking," Shigure commented, causing both of the teens to turn to him. "I'll show you inside.

"Right this way!" he sang as he went, walking right past his weeping editor into the house; Yuki and Tohru trooped in behind him, though the latter couldn't help favoring the poor woman with a look of pity.

Tohru's eyes almost fell out of their sockets as she took in the house's state of disarray. She had never seen such a mess—not even after living with Yuki for three months! And the kitchen was the worst.

"You really should hire a housekeeper, Shigure," Yuki informed his cousin with a disdainful look at the array of garbage littering the kitchen floor.

"I did—last month," Shigure replied with a pout. "But she refuses to come back unless I increase her pay…"

The gray-haired boy arched an eyebrow, sensing that there was something the man wasn't saying. "And…?"

The dark-haired man pulled a French maid's uniform out of nowhere and mournfully added, "And she refuses to wear this and call me 'master.' Honestly, does that sound like too much to expect if I raise her pay?"

Yuki sighed in disgust and reached up to rub his temple, muttering, "You perverted idiot…"

Tohru shifted uncomfortably as she gazed at the outfit. She had never actually seen someone wear something like that in real life, except maybe some Harajuku girls or other Cosplayers. Only in a manga or anime could someone get away with trying to make another person wear a French maid's uniform.

Then Shigure carelessly tossed the uniform over his shoulder and redirected the conversation. "Ah, well. I'm sure you boys want to get to your room."

"_Room?"_ questioned Yuki as they followed the dark-haired man down the hall and up a small flight of stairs.

"I simply haven't had time to fix up the spare room for Tohru-kun," replied Shigure as they went. "I figured, since you're roommates at school anyway, you wouldn't mind if he stayed with you."

"Fine," mumbled the boy, releasing a taut breath. However, when he saw that there was absolutely no change in the room's arrangement since he'd left last summer, he glowered at his cousin. "And where were you expecting Tohru-san to sleep? On the floor?"

Shigure hadn't even bothered to pull out a futon, the girl realized with a quick glance around. It also looked like the room could use a good dusting…

"But the futons are in the hall closet…" The man cringed at his own words, making her wonder how disorganized her host really was. "I figured that maybe you boys wouldn't mind sharing a bed for the night."

"_Eh!" _Tohru flushed at the implication, and it might have been her imagination, but she thought she saw a faint blush creep into her roommate's cheeks as well.

She would never be sure, though, because he quickly turned and gave his cousin a death glare as he growled, "Just how stupid are you? There's no way two people could sleep in that bed!"

"You could if you're friendly," Shigure told him, smirking. Then he gave the cross-dressing girl a considerate look and rubbed his chin as he suggestively added, "Of course, I suppose Tohru-kun _could_ stay with _me_. After all, I have a _much_ larger bed than you…"

Tohru was positive that she'd turned into a tomato. She was unsure of how to take the comment; she was completely aware of what he seemed to be implying—she just didn't know whether he was teasing her or not. Yuki seemed to be even less understanding about the allusion.

Without warning, the gray-haired boy's fist connected with his cousin's head. His bangs fell into his eyes as he grated out, "If you're going to be a lazy, good-for-nothing pervert, _I'll_ get a futon."

He turned to his roommate and said, "Wait here, Tohru-san. I'll be back in a couple of minutes." With that, he stepped out of the room and went to the hall closet—or so Tohru presumed.

Blinking, Tohru glanced from the doorway to the dark-haired man who was slowly climbing to his feet, nursing what would undoubtedly become a huge bump. The same thought that had haunted her since she had met the Sohmas rang through her head: _What have I gotten myself into…?_

* * *

Much to Tohru's amazement, she soon grew accustomed to Yuki and Shigure's actions. Of course, they still unnerved her a bit, but she quickly discovered that they weren't _always_ at odd with each other. Only when the older man made some sort of suggestion that the boy found inappropriate did such a reaction occur. They were like a real family, she decided. 

The girl was quickly welcomed into their circle when Shigure discovered that she was more than willing to help clean the house and cook. In truth, she found that it was perhaps safest for everyone involved if she did; the garbage cluttering the kitchen was impossible to work around, and neither of the men could cook anything that seemed remotely edible.

"Where did you learn to cook like that, Tohru-kun?" asked Shigure as they finished dinner one night.

"You're very good," Yuki added, smiling at her.

Smiling, the girl immediately opened her mouth to answer, but stopped herself as she remembered that she couldn't tell them about her mother. Her smile lessened and became more forced as she tightly told them, "My uncle…isn't much of a cook, so I had to learn…"

_I almost forgot myself,_ she thought, biting her lip. _I've been getting so comfortable in Shigure-san's house that I almost let the truth slip out. I can't let my guard down…_

"Yoru-kun never could boil water without burning it," mused the dark-haired man with a slight smile. Then he glanced at his two charges. "You know that tomorrow is New Year's Eve, right? And with the New Year comes Sanga-nichi…"

Yuki cringed at his cousin's words. "Do you have to remind me?"

"What happens on Sanga-nichi?" asked Tohru curiously, glad for the distraction.

_That's right,_ Shigure remembered as he gazed at the brown-haired teen. _He doesn't know anything about our family traditions. Kyoko-san really must have meant to keep him in the dark about everything…_

"It's a time when the entire Sohma family gathers at the estate to celebrate the New Year," replied Yuki, scowling down at the table. "It's a pointless tradition that is drawn out for three days and four nights."

"The whole Sohma family?" Tohru wondered just how large the family really was.

"It's actually quite festive," Shigure told her, glancing over at the gray-haired boy. "Yuki-kun just doesn't appreciate the revelry." Then he turned to Tohru. "You will be joining us, won't you? Even if you've lived on the Fringe, you should be with your family during New Year's."

Tohru didn't know what "the Fringe" meant, but she was more than happy to accept the invitation. She and Kyoko had always spent New Year's together, and (she hoped) being in a large group of people would take her mind off the sorrow the holiday would bring. "Of course, Shigure-san! That sounds wonderful!"

Then a thought occurred to her. "Will Momiji-kun, Kyo-kun, Kagura-san, and the others be there as well?"

"But of course!" the man answered with a smile. "Momichi, Kyo-kun, 'Gura-chan—all of them will be there! They are, after all, Sohmas."

Tohru smiled happily at the thought of seeing her friends from Sohma Academy again, but her enthusiasm was dampened when she glanced over at Yuki. He was still engaged in glaring at the table. Her brow furrowed as she wondered, _Why doesn't Yuki-san want to visit the main Sohma house? What is he trying to avoid…?_


	10. The Hope of a New Year

**Author's Note: **Okay, I know it's been a short eternity since I updated this story last. But, as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait—and I hope you consider this to be a good thing. I decided that it's been far too long since my last update, so this is my gift to everyone (or at least a peace offering) for being so patient. Thanks especially to those of you who took the time to review. It makes me think that writing is much more worthwhile.

Since the site doesn't allow for author's notes to include replies to reviewers—and I don't want to get into any trouble for doing it—I can't respond to your questions/statements here anymore, but I'll try to respond through the new Review Reply system. (I'm sorry to those of you who review anonymously, but I'm just too paranoid to email reviewers, but reviews are welcome.)

There is one thing that I would like to clear up something that seems to be a common misconception, though. In this story, there is _**NO** **curse**_. If you look back at previous chapters, Tohru has made bodily contact with Juunishi members, and nobody turned into an animal. Though the Chinese Zodiac _will_ be a (minor) theme in this story, I've given it a slightly different twist.

Anyway, I hope that you guys find that this was worth the wait. I have a better part of the story already written up, but the chapters are in no way ready for posting and the ending itself is slow in coming. I'd like to finish the final chapter by New Year's (ironic, considering the chapter I'm posting now), but I have a habit of missing any deadlines I set for myself.

Babbling aside, on with the story.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters. I only own the characters nobody has ever seen anywhere else._

* * *

**Shôjo Fukuzai**

**Chapter 10: Shinnen no Kibô**

Shigure and his guests spent most of New Year's Eve day going through their normal routines, though Yuki seemed even more sullen than usual. As night fell, they began to get ready to go to Sohma House—as Shigure had so quaintly termed the main house. They walked because it wasn't really far, and Tohru used the time to watch her school roommate.

His expression was blacker than any she had ever seen. Well, perhaps not _any,_ she amended as she thought of his expressions whenever he talked about or was confronted with Kyo. But the dark look still sent chills down her spine.

Not for the first time did she wonder at Shigure and Yuki's conflicting attitudes toward the Sanga-nichi celebration. Shigure seemed to see it in an almost reverent light while Yuki all but painted the scene blacker than black. It puzzled her how two cousins could view the same event with such dissimilar ways.

_People all have different views of the world,_ she acknowledged to herself. _But most people are happy to celebrate the New Year with those closest to them._

With her eyes still on Yuki, she recalled something her mother had once said about the importance of New Year's. _"It's the sense of kinship we feel with our family and friends that binds us to them—that's why we celebrate New Year's with those we care about the most. Together, we can dream the impossible and face the coming year courageously, knowing that we are loved…"_

She smiled faintly at the memory, her gaze turning upward. The sun was just beginning to set, the daylight colors bleeding together with those of twilight on the horizon. Tohru and Kyoko had often sat outside to watch the sun set; her mother had said that it was a magical experience, and the girl had to agree. There was, indeed, something magical about watching daylight and twilight meet ever so fleetingly.

Despite her resolve to look forward to celebrating the New Year with the Sohma family, Tohru felt a lump form in her throat as she gazed up at the sunset. She quickly lowered her gaze and did her best to stave off the tears that threatened to fall. _I can't cry in front of Yuki-san and Shigure-san. It might make them suspect something…_

Yuki noticed the way Tohru was staring down at the ground, as if lost in thought. Frowning deeply, he asked, "Tohru-san, are you all right?"

Gasping quietly, the girl glanced over at him before her gaze flickered away again. After a moment of trying to compose herself, she forced a bright smile and said, "I'm fine, Yuki-san. Why do you ask?"

Frowning as he realized his school roommate wasn't about to give him a straight answer, he turned away as well and muttered, "Never mind…"

It hurt to lie to Yuki, to any of her new friends, but she had to do it. Without her lies to cover her tracks, there was no way she would ever be able to keep her secret. Some days it was harder than others, though.

Biting her lip, she glanced up at the sky and sadly thought, _Mom, I'm trying so hard to do the right thing, but…sometimes, it feels like I don't know what's right or wrong anymore… I wish that you were here, to tell me what to do. I miss you so much, Mom…_

"Here we are!" sang Shigure suddenly, causing Tohru's head to jerk up as she realized that he and Yuki had both stopped. He gestured to the large gate she remembered from her first visit to the Sohma estate; people were milling inside and talking cordially as they went. "This stop, Sohma house."

_I forgot how big it was,_ thought the girl as she stared at the huge walls in awe. _And there's so many people. Are they all Sohmas like Yuki-san, Kyo-kun, and Shigure-san…?_

"Come along, children," Shigure called back as he headed inside. Tohru noticed and hurried after him; Yuki slowly—reluctantly—followed in her wake with a dark scowl contorting his features.

A host of people greeted Shigure and Yuki as they walked past, most of them unfamiliar faces to the girl. The fact that she was not well-known within the Sohma family didn't bother her in the least; she felt that it was actually to her advantage, considering that her mother's killer could potentially be waiting for someone to identify her as more than a "Fringe" Sohma, as Shigure had called her. She also had the feeling that most of the Sohmas wouldn't know each other unless they met during Sanga-nichi.

Tohru didn't recognize anyone until she suddenly heard a familiar voice calling, "Shi-chan! Yun-chan!" followed by another voice exclaiming, "Tohru!" The three holiday housemates looked over to see Kagura and Momiji approaching, huge smiles plastered on both of their faces.

"Momiji-kun, Kagura-san!" said the cross-dressing girl in surprise as she watched them approach.

"Good evening, 'Gura-chan, Momichi," Shigure greeted them. That's when he noticed Kagura glancing around them with a slight frown. "Is something wrong, 'Gura-chan?"

The gray-eyed girl sighed in frustration. "I've been looking for Kyo-kun all night, but I still can't find him. Have you seen him, Shi-chan?"

Tohru's brows shot up. She found it hard to believe that anyone could lose Kyo. Even in a crowd, he would stand out with his bright shock of orange hair.

As if reading her confusion, Momiji leaned in and whispered, "Kyo's hiding from Kagura-chan."

The girl nodded slightly in understanding, but her brows furrowed. Though she could see that Kagura's enthusiastic love for Kyo would probably be a turn-off to the boy, she thought it was amazing that someone could love another person with such fervor. She thought it was a wonderful quality to be able to care about someone so much, and secretly wished she could care about someone with that kind of devotion (but without the violent displays of "affection").

As Kagura and Shigure started to converse genially, with Momiji entering and Yuki standing by sullenly, Tohru let her eyes wander over the crowd of people. She could now recognize a couple of familiar faces: Hatsuharu, Kisa, Rin, and—she did a double-take—Naruto Oishi?

_What's Oishi-san doing here?_ she wondered, eyes wide in disbelief. _I thought only the Sohmas were allowed inside the Sohma estate. That's what Goh-san told me when I arrived. But then how could he—_

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone calling her name. Snapping back, she turned to see Shigure, Momiji, and the other staring at her questioningly. Blushing, she stammered an apology and ducked her head.

"That's perfectly all right, Tohru-kun," Shigure assured her, waving a hand dismissively. "I imagine it would be quite an experience to see the Sanga-nichi celebration for the first time. Yoru-kun was never very keen on celebrating New Year's at Sohma House."

A shadow crossed Tohru's face, but it was hidden by the bangs falling into her eyes as she lowered her head. In a hollow voice, she replied, "Yes. My…uncle…didn't like to celebrate New Year's at all. It's…a very painful time…"

"It's because Mahiru-san and Mitsuru-san died shortly after Sanga-nichi, right?" asked Shigure sympathetically.

Tohru flinched slightly at his words, but nodded just the same. Her mind was almost too muddled to know, but she thought that Mahiru and Mitsuru Sohma had died around New Year's. Shigure should have known, she thought, being he claimed to have been a classmate of Mahiru's brother while they attended Sohma Academy.

"Hey, watch where you're going, you idiot!" shouted a voice across the yard. Tohru and her companions all glanced over to see Rin Sohma glaring at what appeared to be an older woman, dressed in a traditional purple kimono, who knelt on the ground with her eyes downcast.

Watching as the woman slowly looked up, Tohru was amazed by how beautiful she looked. She had lengthy honey-brown hair and large gold-brown eyes that sparkled with tears as she gazed up at Rin. In a meek voice, she whispered, "I-I'm sorry, Isuzu-san…"

The blue-eyed girl felt a wave of sympathy wash over her. She knew very well what it was like to have a clumsy streak, and had received more than her fair share of reprimands from those who believed she was simply careless.

Any other thoughts Tohru might have had were overridden when she suddenly saw the young woman throw her hands up and shout, _"I'm sorry, Isuzu-san! I'm so careless I shouldn't even be allowed to walk along the same path as you! Please forgive my pathetic existence! Everyone would be better off if I didn't exist…!"_

Stunned by this outburst, Tohru stared on with a slightly bemused expression. She glanced over at Shigure as she heard him comment, "So, Rit-chan actually made it to celebrate Sanga-nichi this year…"

"Rit-chan…san?" she murmured, frowning.

"Ritsu is just a little hyperactive," Momiji told her.

"If you really thought that, you would've killed yourself off a long time ago," retorted a voice in response to Ritsu's apologies. It belonged to a fair-haired young boy who glared down at the anguished person on the ground with hard auburn eyes. "If you're going to do it, just do it already."

"Hiro-chan!" admonished Kisa as she and Hatsuharu walked onto the scene. "That's not a very nice thing to say to Ritsu-niisan!"

Tohru blinked at the terminology she heard her younger cousin use. _She called Rit-chan-san Ritsu-_nii_san? But then that means…Rit-chan-san is actually a man…!_

The boy—Hiro, apparently—glanced over Kisa with a dour look. Then he scowled at the ground as he mumbled, "It's not like I'm going to give him any pointy objects…"

"_Noooo! Hiro-chan and Kisa-chan are fighting because of me!"_ wailed Ritsu, holding his arms up to the sky as he wept. _"I'm soooo sooorrryyyy! I cause rifts to open between people because of my pathetic-ness! I'm sooorrryyy!"_

Tohru was so stunned that she could only stare on until she heard her school roommate muttering something. Glancing over, she saw Yuki rubbing the bridge of his nose as he grumbled, "It figures that they would all come out of the woodwork…"

* * *

Eventually, things around Ritsu began to calm down, and everyone went back to the business of reacquainting themselves with relatives they hadn't seen in nearly a year (or ever, in Tohru's case). For the most part she stuck close to Yuki, Shigure, and Momiji, but soon she discovered that they had plans to speak with "certain people" and that she wouldn't be allowed to accompany them. 

Though she wondered who her friends would be going to see, she readily assured them that she would be able to entertain herself for a little while. After watching them disappear inside one of the houses, she glanced at the crowd around her to see if she could recognize any familiar faces. Surely there had to be _someone_ she knew around to make conversation.

However, she quickly realized that there was no one she knew standing around in the large pavilion. Despite the fact that people surrounded her, she suddenly felt very alone. _Where is everyone…?_

"Hey, what're you doing here?" asked someone from behind, causing her to jump. She whirled around to see Kyo standing on the porch of the house behind her. He stepped closer as he added, "I thought you were staying with the Rat and Shigure."

"I—I am," she replied, relieved that it was only her cousin. "They asked me to come for Sanga-nichi…"

"And you _came!"_ demanded the orange-haired boy incredulously. He glared at her. "You idiot! Didn't you even _think _this might be a golden opportunity for—"

"Tohru-kun!" Another voice interrupted the boy's tirade. Both teens' head snapped to the left as they saw a familiar brunette woman walking over to them with a wide smile on her face.

"K-Kana-san…" Tohru forced a smile despite the fact that she felt goose bumps prickling her skin at the sight of the woman.

"I thought that was you," Kana greeted her cheerfully. Then she turned to glance at Kyo. They held each other's gazes for a moment and their expressions were unreadable. However, there was almost something foreboding about Kana's voice as she said, "Kyo-kun…"

His ruby eyes hardened as he gritted out, "Kana…"

Tohru frowned and the uneasiness she had about the older woman grew. Why did it seem like something was not right between her cousin and the nurse-in-training?

Before she could analyze the situation further, though, Kana shifted her gaze back to the cross-dressing girl. Her smile returned as well. "You should have told me you were going to be here for Sanga-nichi."

Tohru averted her gaze as she said, "It was…kind of a last minute decision. Shigure-san invited me and I…I've never been here for Sanga-nichi, so…"

"I understand," the woman assured her warmly. "I've always enjoyed spending Sanga-nichi with relatives. It's the one time of the year we can put aside our differences to celebrate something like a real family. I only regret that it passes so quickly…"

Then Kana snapped out of the reverie her own words seemed to have briefly cast over her. She flashed the girl a bright smile as she added, "Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the whole celebration this year. I only came with Hatori-sensei to visit for the night. Tomorrow, I'll be leaving."

Tohru knew that it would be impolite to ask why Kana wouldn't be staying at the estate for more than the first day of Sanga-nichi, and she suspected that most boys would not even waste their time considering such an aspect of a woman's life. But, despite the fact that something about the woman unsettled her, the girl couldn't help wondering why she would be leaving on New Year's Day.

"I suppose I should get going," Kana stated after a few moments of silence. "I'm going to have to hurry if I want to talk to everyone before I leave." She bowed quickly to Tohru and gave her a surreptitious smile as she told her, "Have a happy New Year, Tohru-kun. I hope your wish comes true."

"Have a happy New Year, Kana-san," parroted Tohru, bowing as well with a slight smile plastered on her face.

However, as she watched Kana disappear, the blue-eyed girl's smile faded and she shivered slightly. It made her feel bad, really, to feel ill-at-ease around such a nice woman, but she couldn't help it. Something about looking at Kana—even thinking about her—made her skin crawl.

"Hey…" Kyo's voice cut through her thoughts. She glanced over to see him gazing at her with a thoughtful frown. "I don't know if anyone told you, but…"

"Eh?" She gazed at him expectantly.

"It's about Kana," he told her slowly. His eyes flickered slightly as he started to say, "It's not exactly common knowledge, but you should know she's—"

Unfortunately, Tohru never got to hear the rest of her cousin's statement because a feminine voice suddenly rang throughout the compound: _"Kyo-kun!"_

"Aw, hell no!" Kyo grimaced as he saw Kagura speeding toward him with all the grace of an out-of-control locomotive. Before he could make an escape, though, she had glomped him and was proceeding to squeeze the life out of him.

"Where were you, Kyo-kun?" pouted Kagura as she squeezed him tighter. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Damn it, lemme go, woman!" snarled the orange-haired boy. He didn't seem very threatening, though, considering he was gasping for air and turning an attractive shade of blue.

Tohru couldn't help smiling slightly at their antics. Though she would have liked to know what Kyo had been about to tell her, she was somehow grateful for the interruption. Seeing Kagura and Kyo together eased some of the tension seeing Kana had caused. Maybe she would be able to enjoy this New Year's, even without Kyoko by her side.

* * *

The remainder of the Sanga-nichi festival passed without any serious incidents. Though Tohru was somewhat disappointed that she wasn't able to spend more time with Momiji, Yuki, and the other Sohmas who attended school with her, she had been able to meet Kyo's "Shishou," Kazuma Sohma, and Kazuma's assistant, Kunimitsu Tomoda. 

The rapport she witnessed between Kyo and the two men was somewhat astonishing to Tohru. She could not remember ever seeing her cousin get along so well with anyone, not even his own mother and father at Kyoko's funeral. It bothered her that he wouldn't be close to his parents, but she was coming to assume that very few of the Sohmas had good relationships with their immediate families. (Even her own mother could have fit into that category.)

As the New Year holiday ended, Tohru and the Sohmas reluctantly returned to school. The days began to drag on because of the dreary winter weather, and a little over a month into the new term saw Tohru trudging toward the activities center. After entering the building, she headed for the lounge.

The girl groaned slightly as she wearily flopped down in one of the chairs. The people seated at the table—Junji, Momiji, Hatsuharu, and two boys from Junji's class—glanced over at her in surprise as they watched her place her stuffed satchel on top of the table. She didn't think it had ever been this heavy in her life.

"You look beat, man," Junji commented. Then he glanced over at her bag. "What're you carrying in there, anyhow?"

Tohru opened her bag and revealed a sample of her burden: a rectangular object wrapped in shiny purple and silver foil. "Chocolates for Yuki-san."

Junji goggled. "That's _all_ chocolate!"

"Mostly," replied the blue-eyed girl, replacing the gift. "There are a few other kinds of candy—and other gifts, too. They're from the girls who couldn't fit theirs into Yuki-san's locker."

The raven-haired boy sighed and leaned on the table, gazing at Tohru's bag longingly. "I wish I had a girlfriend to give me chocolate for Valentine's Day."

Valentine's Day was apparently the busiest holiday for the girls at Sohma Academy—at least, as far as attempting to show Yuki their affections went. Most of the valentines had been imparted to her with the explicit instruction to make sure he knew the giver's name. However, with so many in her possession, Tohru feared that she would never be able to remember which had come from whom.

"I didn't think there were that many girls who liked Yuki," commented one of the other boys with wide eyes.

The second boy snorted. "Are you kidding? Over half the girls here are in his fan club, Kodaira! And some of those girls are _scary._ Like Motoko Minagawa."

Kodaira frowned. "Minagawa-sempai isn't that bad, Tenno."

"Did you get any chocolates, Tohru?" asked Momiji suddenly, startling the brown-haired girl into facing him.

Tohru reddened slightly. "Yes. From Arakida-san and Ikeuchi-san."

Junji smirked a bit. "Let me guess. Arakida struck before homeroom."

Her blush deepened.

The boy's sapphire-black eyes sparkled as he chuckled to himself. "I've never seen Arakida as hung up on anybody as she is on you. But I'm surprised Ikeuchi gave you chocolate. Wouldn't have pegged her as a romantic sort."

Tohru now looked like a ripe tomato. While Shiori's chocolate had been given in the hopes of kindling something deeper in their one-sided "relationship" (as had the gift she'd gotten the previous Christmas), Chie had assured Tohru that her candy was "a token of friendship," without any potential strings attached.

Truthfully, she would have been happier if she hadn't received any offerings. The only thoughts she'd had about Valentine's Day prior to the holiday were fleeting contemplations about what she would have gotten the Sohmas and her other new friends (and what she would be giving Saki and Arisa if she had the chance). She had quickly dismissed the ideas, though, knowing it would be exceedingly awkward for a boy to give even close friends things on Valentine's Day.

_Even still, it would be nice to show my appreciation to Yuki-san and the other Sohmas for their friendship…_ she thought with a vague hint of a smile on her face. _Especially Yuki-san…_

"Thinking about anyone in particular, Tohru?" Junji teased as he caught sight of her expression. He waggled his eyebrows playfully. "Somebody you want to get chocolates from?"

The heat that had been slowly leaving her cheeks quickly returned. "N-no! It wasn't anything like that, Horigome-kun!"

"Don't worry, Tohru, we won't laugh at you," Momiji assured her.

"It's nothing!" Tohru abruptly jumped out of her chair. With her bag in arm, she turned and said, "I just want to make sure that I can get these to—" She cut herself off as she nearly barreled into someone with a yelp. "Yuki-san!"

Yuki helped her steady herself. "You should be more careful, Tohru-san."

Tohru didn't think it was possible for her cheeks to get any redder than they were at that moment. "I-I was just…going to look for you…"

"Why?" he wanted to know.

"Um…" She fumbled around for a moment before producing one of the valentines. "A couple of girls…asked me to give you some chocolates…"

The violet-eyed boy took the proffered object with a sigh. "Not more. I don't like chocolate enough to eat five kilograms of it…"

"Your fan club is working overtime today, huh?" Junji smirked.

"Can I have your chocolate if you don't want it, Yuki?" asked Momiji.

Yuki nodded and slid the gift across the table to the blond. "Sure. Somebody might as well enjoy eating it." He turned to his roommate and added, "You can give him the rest, too, Tohru-san."

Tohru frowned deeply, but did as she was told. _Yuki-san doesn't seem to be enjoy Valentine's Day at all. If he doesn't want chocolates, then what would he like…?_

Hatsuharu caught Yuki's roommate staring at the gray-haired boy with a pensive expression. He had seen the brunette looking at Yuki that way before, and he was beginning to think he understood what was going through the other boy's head. Formulating an idea, he said, "Tohru-san, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course!" Tohru followed as Hatsuharu led her walked a few paces from the table, just out of earshot.

Yuki watched the two interact for a moment as Hatsuharu started to speak, saying something that was apparently a bit startling to his roommate, because it earned him a look of surprise. Then he saw Tohru glance over at him, and the boy seemed to be blushing as he shook his head furiously. Yuki's amethyst orbs narrowed. _What's Haru up to now…?_

He didn't have time to contemplate an answer to his silent query, though, because he heard his name being called. Turning, he found Tenno was gazing at him questioningly. "You seen Kyo around?"

At the mere mention of the stupid Cat, Yuki graced the other boy with a withering look and frostily replied, "I haven't seen him."

Tenno shuddered a bit at the wintry glare. "Hey, I was just asking!"

"He's hiding from Kagura-chan," Momiji told them, causing everyone to glance over at him. "She wants to give him her Valentine's Day gift."

Junji smirked a bit. "Kyon-Kyon's probably on the dorm roof or something."

"What do you think Kagura'll do when she finds him?" Kodaira wondered aloud.

"Kick his ass—what else?" The black-haired boy snickered. "You'd think he'd have learn it's better to just take her gift by now. At least he'd survive the encounter without any contusions."

"We should get going, Momiji," said Hatsuharu suddenly. He and Tohru had returned to the table. The black- and white-haired boy gazed at the shorter blond boy as he added, "Hatori-sensei said he wanted to talk to us at four."

"Right!" the blond chirped. After bidding everyone a farewell, the younger teens set off for the school clinic. Soon, the rest of the group dispersed as well, and Tohru and Yuki headed back to their room.

Yuki noticed that his roommate was unusually quiet as they went. As the long silence continued to elapse, he asked, "Is something bothering you, Tohru-san?"

Tohru turned slightly and gave him a questioning look. "No, I'm fine. Why?"

"Never mind." The gray-haired boy looked away. After another moment of silence, he made another attempt to strike up a conversation. "Did you get any chocolates?"

"Yes, but just from Arakida-san and Ikeuchi-san. Not nearly as much as you did," she answered.

"I got more candy than I know what to do with," he sighed.

Swallowing, Tohru glanced at him furtively before lowering her eyes again. Heat rose in her cheeks as she stammered, "You must be very popular, Yuki…kun…"

"It's not that I enjoy the attention, but—" Yuki stopped and stared at his roommate, startled as he realized what the other boy had just said. Blinking, he asked, "What…?"

Even without him finishing the question, Tohru understood it. Her blush deepened as she softly said, "Hatsuharu-san said it would make you happy if I was more familiar with you…"

To her horror, Yuki looked away, his bangs shielding his eyes from view. Fearing that she had overstepped the boundaries of masculine friendship, she quickly stammered, "But if you don't want me to, I won't! I didn't really think you wanted me to, but Hatsuharu-san was so adamant that I—I promise I won't do it anymore, Yuki-sa—"

"No." The word caught her off guard. She snapped back and gazed at Yuki in confusion. He still wouldn't look at her, but he softly added, "It's all right, Tohru-san. I don't mind. After all, we've known each other for almost six months. You can be less formal if you want…" (It might have been her imagination, but she could have sworn she saw a slight pinkness painting his cheeks.)

Smiling despite herself, the girl slowly nodded. "Okay…Yuki-kun."


	11. Exposed!

**Author's Note:** Hey, look—I finally updated! And it only took...three months. Yeesh—that's _way_ too long, even by my reckoning (and I'm the writer -.-;).

As with most chapters, my excuses remain the same: a lack of time (due to classes and/or other things in real life) and a slight case of writer's block. The real reason I'm updating now is because it's Spring Break and I finally have a minute to catch my breath; too bad it only lasts a week, and even now I'm making plans about what I have to do to catch up to some course work I've been putting off (I've got procrastination down to a fine art).

Anyway, thanks to **littleduck, Chiratsuku, KagomeGirl21, blueflamesofsadness, Kurenai Chinoumi, o.oxanimefreakxo.o, Lucinda the Maid, kage kasai, Pwincess-of-Confetti, Skye, **and **Rachel** for your reviews. They've come in quite handy to jumpstart my creative flow for this story the last couple of weeks. Even though I _still_ haven't finished the final chapter, I'm aiming to finish it by summer (hopefully, with more time, I might actually make that deadline...). Hopefully, I'll have updated before then, though...

I won't say much about this chapter itself, though I'm sure the title hints at what's to come,because I don't want to give away too much before itactually starts. I'm sure that some of you will be disappointed, but I promise that answers—at least some—will come in the next chapter.

So, without further ado, I bring you chapter 11.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters. I only own the characters nobody's seen anywhere besides this story._

**

* * *

****Shôjo Fukuzai**

**Chapter 11: Sarasarete!**

Tohru smiled as she closed her eyes and let the breeze blow through her hair. Mid-May was just setting in, and the weather was exceptionally balmy. It was one of her favorite times of year; the weather was warm enough to be comfortable, but not as humid as the rainy season that would begin to set in during June.

The girl's eyes flew open when she suddenly heard someone calling her name. Glancing over, she saw Junji grinning broadly and waving to her. She smiled and responded with a wave of her own as she jogged over to him. "Good morning, Horigome-kun!"

"You going to breakfast?" asked the black-haired boy.

Tohru nodded. "Yeah, I was just heading to the cafeteria."

Junji glanced around for a moment before turning back to gaze at her questioningly. "Where's Yuki?"

"He said that he had some things to do to this morning," replied the blue-eyed girl. "Why?"

The boy shrugged a bit, twining his fingers behind his head so that his elbows were akimbo. "No reason—it's just weird to see you without him, that's all. You two always seem to be together lately."

Tohru felt a light blush creep into her cheeks. It was true that she and Yuki had been spending quite a bit of time together as of late, but she simply attributed to the fact that they were becoming better friends. She knew that it could be potentially dangerous for her to even attempt forging any other relationships with him (or anyone else, for that matter) because it would jeopardize her ability to hide her true identity, and—most importantly—Kyoko's murderer was likely still searching for her.

Even still, the cross-dressing girl still found her thoughts heading in directions that would be wholly inappropriate if she wanted to maintain her strictly platonic relationship with Yuki (not to mention her cover). She did her best to derail them before they went too far, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.

Before Tohru could embarrass herself by stammering a reply, Junji thoughtfully added, "But I suppose that's not so weird—you guys _are_ roommates, after all. And you're both Sohmas, right? It makes perfect sense you two would spend a lot of time together." He started to walk toward the cafeteria.

The girl blinked at his words and quickly moved to follow. "Eh? What does being a Sohma have to do with Yuki-kun spending time with me?"

Junji shrugged again as he turned to glance at her. "I dunno. It just seems like you Sohmas always bunch up. I mean, you guys hang out with other people, too—but you seem to hang out together most of the time. And don't tell me you haven't noticed that the others always seem to be disappearing. _Everybody_ knows about _that_." He eyed her critically for a moment. "I've always wondered why you don't, though…"

Though she was glad to know that she wasn't the only one who noticed the Sohmas' long, mysterious periods of absence, she was slightly hurt that Junji would be suspicious of her as well. Glancing down, she painfully replied, "I'm…not…like them…"

Realizing that he had perhaps been too blunt and had offended his friend, the black-haired boy grumbled under his breath for a moment. Then he gave Tohru a long, considerate look. "I'm not accusing you of anything, okay? It just seems like the other Sohmas are always disappearing; it's weird that you don't."

Tohru forced a smile. "It's okay, Horigome-kun. I understand."

As they started to walk again, the boy added, "I was actually kind of surprised to see you this morning. Kyon-Kyon said that he had other things to do, too; he doesn't disappear that often, but around this time of year, it seems like all of the Sohmas are gone. I thought maybe you left, too."

The girl frowned thoughtfully as she considered Junji's insights. Thinking back on things, she had to agree that it seemed like the Sohmas had been particularly busy at that time. Even Hatori was frequently gone from the school clinic (or so she had overheard Iseya commenting to one of the teachers). But what could they possibly be doing…?

Tohru had thought of many different possibilities throughout her eight months at Sohma Academy, but the one that made the most sense in her mind was the one she least wished to believe: yakuza activities. None of the Sohmas she had associated with were what she would've considered "gang" material; however, Kyoko had hardly seemed like the gang type—neither did Arisa (most of the time)—and yet she had been a leader of her gang during her time as the "Red Butterfly."

_Is it that I can't believe the Sohmas would ever hurt anyone, or that I don't _want_ to believe it?_ she wondered as she and Junji entered the cafeteria. _None of the Sohmas seem dangerous—not really. Yuki-kun can be cold, but he's not really mean; Momiji-kun seems too happy to even want to hurt people; and Kyo-kun gets angry, but he doesn't really try to hurt people…_

"Hey, you okay, Tohru?" The sound of Junji's voice jarred the girl from her thoughts. Blinking, she glanced over at him. She had barely been aware of the fact that they had already gone through the line and gotten their food.

Shaking her head to clear it, she replied, "Uh…"

Junji snorted and couldn't help rolling his eyes at his friend's antics. "You really gotta stop spacing out, man. You'd be the perfect victim for any alert criminal."

Ducking her head as a blush pinkened her cheeks, she stammered, "Right…"

The raven-haired boy gestured to one of the far tables where Naruto Oishi and a couple of other boys sat. "You wanna sit with them? I'm sure Oishi and his buddies would be glad for the company."

Though Tohru felt a bit guilty for imposing on Junji and his other friends simply because the majority of her other acquaintances were missing, she was also interested in meeting people outside the Sohma circle. "Okay, Horigome-kun."

"Good." Junji jogged over to the table carrying his tray and loudly called, "Hey, Oishi! Mind if we join you, man?" (Tohru followed him at a somewhat slower pace.)

Naruto gazed at dark-haired boy disdainfully. "Must you?"

"Well, since Kyon-Kyon and the others are otherwise occupied, me and Tohru thought we'd grace your table with our presence!" Junji grinned at the short boy as he sat down next to him.

Naruto seemingly ignored Junji and gave Tohru a slight nod of acknowledgement. "Tohru-san. It's been a while."

"It's nice to see you again, Oishi-san," Tohru replied as she sat down on the other side of the table. Even though she had seen him at the Sohma estate during New Year's, she wasn't sure how to even approach him about the matter (she wasn't sure if she even _wanted_ to, truthfully).

"Tohru, you already know Kodaira." Junji gestured to the boy a few chairs away; he greeted her with a brief salute and a "Yo!" The black-haired boy then gestured to the boy who sat beside her, deadpanning. "Meet Ryūta Nagai, Oishi's roommate. Nagai, this is Tohru Sohma; he's rooming with Yuki."

The boy stared at her with dark emerald eyes and said, "Hello, Tohru-san."

Tohru bowed her head slightly. "It's nice to meet you, Nagai-san."

Ryūta stared at her for a long moment before he monotonously told her, "Your aura is streaked with black; you are feeling extremely guilty about something."

"Eh!" The cross-dressing girl blinked and stared at him with wide teal-blue eyes.

"Nagai can read auras," Junji said by way of explanation, breaking his chopsticks. "He gives us all an aura report whenever he's around."

_So…he's somewhat like Hana-chan,_ decided the girl, gazing at Naruto's dark-haired roommate in wonder. _I thought that Hana-chan and Megumi-san were the only ones who could do things like that…_

Ryūta remained silent throughout the remainder of the meal, not even speaking when Junji or Kodaira would direct the conversation at him. Naruto told them they were wasting their time, but Junji refused to give up; instead, he lightly poked fun at the other boy, whose only response would be a impassive look that Tohru suspected was supposed to be a glare.

As the tablemates finished their breakfasts, they reluctantly went their separate ways and started to head for their respective homerooms. As Tohru left, she was slightly surprised when she saw someone she thought looked like Rin standing outside the cafeteria.

She hadn't seen Rin since she graduated in March; only Kagura had come to visit Kyo a few times (much to his chagrin). Seeing her at school when all of the other Sohmas were suspiciously absent caused her to wonder what was going on. After a moment of hesitation, she called out, "I-Isuzu-san?"

The black-haired girl startled when her name was called, but her expression quickly turned icy and her brown-black eyes hardened. "What do you want?"

Tohru bit her lip. "I was just wonder what you're doing here, Isuzu-san."

Rin narrowed her eyes at the younger girl. "What business is it of yours? I don't have to answer to you."

"I'm sorry—I didn't mean to bother you!" Tohru bowed quickly. "It's just that… Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, and the others are all gone. I was just…surprised…to see you here, Isuzu-san."

The older girl stared at Tohru for a long time before she spoke. When she finally did, her words were biting. "You have no right to be so familiar with any of the Sohmas. You're from the Fringe; you shouldn't be friendly with real members of the family."

Hurt and confused by these words, the blue-eyed girl stammered, "What?"

"You're an outsider—you don't belong," snapped Rin. She leered at Tohru as the girl stared her with a pained look. "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from the real Sohmas. If you don't, you'll regret it."

With that, the young woman took her leave. She left behind a very hurt teenaged, cross-dressing girl who wondered what sort of grudge she held against her.

Rin's words bothered Tohru for a while, but she had little time to worry about it because the summer semester was filled with numerous activities. Even so, the days seemed to drag on in the heat and humidity, with May lazily drifting into June, and June gradually melting into July. Tests and preparations for summer vacation made everyone anxious; even the teachers couldn't wait for the break to begin.

Tohru slowly began to relax, and started to forget about what Rin had said. Instead, she focused on the self-defense training Kyo had been teaching her since January (despite her constant training, though, she never seemed to get it quite right), studying for tests with help from Yuki and Shiori, and simply enjoying the time she spent with her new friends.

* * *

During the last week of school before summer break, Tohru spent a great deal of time pondering what she would do during the long recess. Shigure had offered to let her stay with him and Yuki again, but she was somewhat hesitant to impose on him. She was somewhat reluctant to say "no," though, because it meant she would be staying at Sohma Academy alone.

_I need to give Shigure-san an answer this week,_ she thought as she wiped sweat from her brow. _I'd like to stay, but…I don't want to intrude on him again. Maybe I could visit them during the break, or—_

Her thoughts were cut short when she suddenly heard Hatsuharu calling her name. She glanced over in time to see Momiji streaking past her with the soccer ball. Yelping, she almost tripped over her own feet as she attempted to chase after him; Hatsuharu and Kyo were already in hot pursuit.

Momiji dribbled the ball between his feet as he raced down the field before he finally stopped and gave the ball a swift kick in the direction of the goal. Yuki blocked it.

Earlier, Kyo had decided that he wanted to play a game of soccer with Yuki—to prove "once and for all" that he could beat him. One thing led to another, and eventually it turned into a three-on-three match, with Yuki, Hatsuharu, and Tohru playing against Kyo, Momiji, and Junji; while Hatsuharu, Tohru, Momiji, and Kyo played the field, Junji and Yuki acted as goalies for their respective teams.

"Nice block, Yuki!" Momiji cheered, grinning.

Kyo glowered at the other boy, huffing as he screeched to a halt nearby. "You damn runt! You're not supposed to cheer for the opposition!"

"Leave him alone, Kyo," Hatsuharu said as Tohru jogged over to them, panting hard. "He can cheer for whoever he wants."

"Don't even get me started, you stupid Ox!" hissed the orange-haired boy, glowering. "You're as bad as him!"

"Don't pick on them just because you're too pathetic to even properly dribble the ball down the field, stupid Cat," Yuki coolly told Kyo, having finally retrieved the ball. He kicked it to Hatsuharu. "This whole game was _your_ idea, and yet you're not even participating."

"Shut up, ya damn Rat!" growled Kyo, grabbing the ball out of the younger boy's hands. He chucked it at Yuki, aiming directly at his head.

Yuki shifted slightly and the ball whizzed past harmlessly. The gray-haired boy calmly said, "You're not supposed to use your hands."

While Kyo proceeded to cuss his rival out, Tohru continued puffing. Normally, she wouldn't have had much trouble keeping up with the boys when they were running; after running with boys in her gym class for almost a year, her stamina had improved greatly. But for some reason, she was having trouble at that moment. It felt like her lungs couldn't get enough air, and the fact that it was extremely hot wasn't helping matters.

Momiji was the first to notice her breathlessness. Frowning in concern, he asked, "Are you okay, Tohru?"

Almost immediately, Tohru straightened herself, attempting to cover up her wheezing. Forcing a bright smile, she did her best to control her breathing. "I'm fine, Momiji-kun. Don't worry about me!"

Though the blond remained unconvinced, he said nothing. After Yuki returned the ball once again, the field players returned to the game. However, after a few more laps around the field, Tohru's efforts to hide her labored breathing began to catch up with her. It was becoming even harder to breathe, and she was feeling lightheaded; she refused to let on, though.

As Hatsuharu managed to steal the ball away from Momiji, the opposition gave chase. Tohru tried to follow, but found it more difficult than before.

Time seemed to slow, the seconds pounding in time with each step she took. She was vaguely aware of the fact that her dizziness seemed to be peaking, but she was more focused on the fact that her shirt felt too tight. Her lungs burned, as if from lack of oxygen. Gasping, she felt her head start to ring.

Then she tripped over her own feet, but she wasn't aware of this. The only thing she knew was that the world very suddenly went black.

Yuki was the first to see Tohru fall. His shout of alarm as he shot out of the goal alerted the others. It was a matter of seconds before all of the boys were crowded around the fallen player Yuki had turned over and was attempting to revive.

"Is he okay?" asked Momiji anxiously.

"I think so," answered Yuki, taking the brown-haired boy's pulse. His heart rate seemed somewhat elevated, but not alarmingly so; he also seemed to be breathing heavily. "It looks like he just passed out."

"Why would he collapse?" demanded Kyo.

The gray-haired boy shot him a look. "Not all of us have your stamina."

"Maybe he's asthmatic," Hatsuharu suggested. "Did he ever talk about it, or have an attack?"

Junji shook his head furiously. "Never said a word to me."

Yuki shook his head as well. "I've never seen him use an inhaler. If he is, he doesn't know it."

"We need to get him to Ha'ri," Momiji said.

"I'll take him." Yuki quickly gathered Tohru into his arms.

Kyo glared at his rival, disliking the hold the other boy had on his first cousin. "What makes you think _you're_ gonna do it? I can take him, too."

"If you want to do something, go tell Hatori we're coming," retorted Yuki, with a glare of his own. "You're always trying to prove you're faster than me; this is your chance."

Casting one last look at Tohru, the orange-haired boy took off running.

By the time Yuki reached the school clinic, Hatori and Kana were ready to take charge of the unconscious brunette. Both the Rat and the Cat waited anxiously as the doctor looked the other boy over.

"He doesn't have a history of asthma," Hatori informed the other occupants of the room. "But it is possibly he would have difficulty breathing."

"Why should he have trouble breathing, though?" asked Kana with a frown. "He's not wearing anything tight."

"I don't know," said the doctor honestly. "In any case, he seems fine now."

Regardless of Tohru's present state, Hatori decided to play it safe and listen to his lungs. Carefully, he lifted the boy's shirt—and frowned deeply when he noticed Tohru was wearing some sort of skintight vest.

Kyo and Yuki noticed his hesitation and looked more closely at their friend. Both of them happened upon the same thought, but Kyo was the one who blurted it out, "What the hell's he wearing a vest for? It's boiling outside!"

Kana also stared on with some semblance of wonder, watching as the doctor silently moved to undo the zipper keeping the vest shut. What was revealed beneath it caused the eyes of everyone in the room to widen in disbelief. Hatori quickly lowered Tohru's shirt to preserve her modesty.

"No way," spluttered Kyo, shaking his head incredulously. "No freaking way… He's—he's a—a—!"

"I believe the word you're looking for is 'girl,'" Hatori supplied dryly. "Only women are supposed to have breasts, to the best of my knowledge."

The boy's face flushed and he shot the doctor a glare. "I—I know that, damn it! I mean…how did he turn into a girl!"

"I'd say she was born that way," replied the older man.

"You know what I mean!" hissed Kyo angrily. His face looked like a cherry as he demanded, "Why did he—she—pass him—herself—off as a boy!"

Hatori didn't answer. His eyes were fixated on his patient, because she was starting to open her eyes.

Tohru murmured incoherently as she slowly regained consciousness. Her eyelids fluttered open and she glanced around, her head feeling muzzy. However, all traces of fuzziness vanished as she realized that she was lying on a table, with Hatori hovering above her. Blinking, she stammered, "Hatori-sensei…?"

"You're in the clinic," he told her with an unreadable look. "You passed out. Yuki and Kyo brought you in."

Memories of her last conscious moments swam through her head. She glanced over to see both of the boys standing nearby, wearing expressions of incredulity. Her brows furrowed as she wondered what was wrong with them. It was then that she began to realize that something didn't feel right.

"With that tight vest restricting your breathing while you were active, it's no surprise," added Hatori. As she realized why her chest no longer felt tight, color began to drain from her face. She shot upright and stared at Yuki and Kyo pleadingly, only vaguely aware that the doctor was saying, "You really shouldn't have been running around if you were having trouble breathing, you might have…"

Tohru heard nothing else of what he said. She was only aware of the fact that her heartbeat was thudding in her ears as she gazed at the two boys she had become so close to over the past ten months. Both had the look of stunned disbelief, but there was something in Yuki's eyes that made her blood run cold: an accusation of betrayal.

The girl looked down and slowly shook her head. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She had been so careful, had managed to hide herself for so long—how could it all suddenly fall apart in a matter of seconds?

Tears prickled the backs of her eyes as she jaw started to work. No words came.

"How could you…?" Her head jerked at the sound of Yuki's voice. Wide teal-blue orbs met icy violet ones. "Why did you do this?"

"Yuki-kun, I…" The words caught in her throat. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and crossed her arms over her chest. Her voice thick, she whispered, "It wasn't—"

Tohru was cut off by the sound of the door slamming. She looked up to see that Yuki had disappeared. For a moment her mind ceased to function.

It was jumpstarted by the feeling of Hatori's hand on her shoulder as he softly told her, "I think you have some explaining to do…"

With a strangled sound, the girl bolted.

After a moment of stammering, Kyo raced after her. "Tohru!"

Hatori sighed, rubbing one temple. This unexpected turn of events would no doubt cause a stir within the Inner Circles if it ever got out. Matsuo and Suzume's new grandson was actually a grand_daughter_. Somehow it seemed rather fitting that Tohru was a girl; Suzume would love to have a granddaughter from Kyoko that she could actually dote on.

As his thoughts turned from Matsuo's family, he glanced over to speak to Kana—but was startled to find that she had somehow disappeared in all the commotion. He frowned deeply. Where could she have gone…?

* * *

Kyo searched a better part of the campus before he finally found Tohru. When he did, he was slightly surprised that she was actually in the last place he would have expected: the dorm roof. She had her face buried in her knees, her arms wrapped around her legs. He could also see that she was trembling violently.

Well, he had found her—now what was he supposed to do with her? He knew better than to entertain the belief that he could properly comfort a girl when she was upset. But he could be sure that damn Rat wasn't going to make a move—at least, not at that moment. He seemed to be having problems of his own, which didn't bother Kyo in the least.

Sighing, he plopped down beside her. He silently stared up at the sky for a few moments before glancing over at her again. Deciding to go with his gut, he said the first thing that came to mind. "At least now it makes sense why you always acted so girly…"

"Eh?" Tohru slowly moved to glance at him. Sitting up straighter, she stammered, "Kyo-kun, I…"

Smirking slightly, he added, "It's kind of a relief, really. Now I don't have to wonder about you."

"Y-you're not mad?" she asked hesitantly.

His smirk drooped and he turned to look at the sky again. "Not really. I mean, you shouldn't have kept this a secret, but…"

"It was Grandpa's idea," she softly told him. He glanced over to see that she was now looking away. "He thought that…if everybody believed I was a boy…Mom's killer would be less likely to find me."

"Kind of like Grandfather's idea to keep your real family name a secret, huh?" Kyo smirked again. "He's not as original as he thought he was."

Tohru glanced at him. "What'll happen now, Kyo-kun?"

Sighing, her cousin frowned in concentration. "Well, first of all, I guess we'll have to tell Grandmother and Grandfather."

The girl bit her lip. "Do you think they'll be mad?"

He gave her a slight smile. "Grandmother'll probably be amused that you managed to pull this off for so long, and she'll be thrilled to have another granddaughter. Grandfather might be upset, but he'll get over it. I'd like to be there when he finds out…" His smile became devious.

But it quickly faded as he contemplated what else this unveiling might mean. "Otherwise, I guess we should try to act like nothing's changed. If we do, nobody'll suspect anything."

Tears prickled Tohru's eyes again. "I don't think Yuki-kun will be able to do that…"

Anger welled up in Kyo. Why did she value that damn Rat's opinion so much? Growling, he spat, "Screw the Rat. If he won't do it, you can always tell the R.A. you want a different roommate!"

The thought of putting even more distance between herself and Yuki caused more tears to form in Tohru's eyes. Blinking them back, she murmured, "I need to talk to him before I can do anything about it…"

Though the idea of Tohru continuing to room with the Rat bothered Kyo, he decided that there was very little he could do to change the situation. Exhaling slowly, he climbed to his feet. He held out a hand to his cousin and said, "C'mon. We might as well get to the cafeteria."

As Kyo helped her hoist herself up, the girl nodded. "Okay. But I should change before we go."

The pair walked down to the second floor. Tohru was just opening the door and telling Kyo, "I'll be right—" when she suddenly saw the state of the room. It looked like it had been ransacked.

Gasping, she rushed inside, with Kyo only a few steps behind her. She was so bewildered by the room's condition—with drawers open, clothes strewn about, and an overall state of disorder—that she almost missed it.

Someone had smeared the bathroom door with blood-red paint. The message was clear: _There is no escape. Red Butterfly's line ends here._


	12. Escaping a Murderer's Sight

**Author's Note:** Wow, it's been two months since my last update. I don't think that's as bad as last time, but it still seems like forever (to some of you, I'm sure it does, too).

As always, the standard "lots-of-schoolwork-and-numerous-real-life-interruptions" excuse applies for part of the delay; the other half will be covered by a severe case of writer's block and a diminishing interest in Furuba fanfics. Don't worry—I plan to finish this story come hell or high water (I've already got most of it written, better ending and epilogue pending); but I think that this might be my last major contribution to the Fruits Basket section.

Enough babble, though. Thanks to **Kurenai Chinoumi, Willow Evenstar, jiaen, littleduck, Winter's Light, Skye, Adi88, blueflamesofsadness, x.XWeirdxnxWiseX.x, NeonBlackFrog, namelessshadow, Lucinda the Maid, **and **rachel** for your reviews. As usual, they help to fuel my bursts of interest when I hit the metaphorical wallon this story, and they let me know that someone actually enjoys what I've written.

Unlike the other chapters, I decided to write the beginning of this one from Yuki's POV. After his reaction to Tohru's exposure, I thought it would only be right, so that you could see (some of) what's going on in his head as well. The chapter starts out roughly around the same time as the last scene of the previous chapter (with Kyo and Tohru on the roof) and part of the second scene of this chapter. (I hope that makes more sense to you than it does to me—if not, just ignore this and keep reading. --;)

Oh, well. On with chapter 12.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters. I just own the characters nobody's ever seen anywhere else._

* * *

**Shôjo Fukuzai**

**Chapter 12: Satsujinsha no Me ni Nigeru**

Yuki wandered the campus aimlessly, trying to make sense of what he had just learned. It seemed impossible, really, to think that he had been rooming with a girl for almost a year.

How could he have missed the fact that Tohru was actually a girl? It should have been obvious, he reflected, considering how involved she had tried to become with his life. None of the (other) boys he'd ever met were that interested in learning so much about him.

In the past, he had often thought that there was something strange about Tohru, but he had written it off as a mere peculiarity that made "him" slightly bizarre. But the fact that his roommate was always trying to get closer to him hadn't really bothered Yuki. On the contrary, it had been rather nice to think that there was someone who wanted to know some of the things about him that could not be seen on the surface.

Her interest in befriending him had slowly caused Yuki to warm up to her. Maybe it was because he had never met anyone else who went to such lengths to dig deeper and try to learn more about him; nobody except Hatsuharu had ever gotten close to him.

Yuki had never been very good at being intimate with any of the people around him. There was always an element of superficiality that allowed him to simply put up a cordial front, a composed mask he could slip on and off effortlessly. That was all they ever really wanted to see, he reasoned, so that was what he gave them.

With Tohru, he hadn't needed that mask most of the time. Once they got to know each other, he began to realize that he wanted her to know him—and that he wanted to know her. As he began to slowly open up, and their friendship blossomed over the months, he had found himself starting to feel something for her.

He had never been certain what kind of emotion it was; the only way he could think of to describe it was a feeling of warmth whenever she was around. Most of the time, it wasn't strong enough for him to think anything of it, but sometimes he had begun to wonder what it was about Tohru that made him feel that way.

That special something about Tohru that made him feel warm also had an unexpected side effect at times: whenever an awkward situation arose, he would find himself flushing for no apparent reason. The first time he'd noticed was when Shigure had made the (obscene) suggestion about their sleeping arrangement during their stay with him over the break last winter.

It had made him wonder about himself at times. Usually, he was able to stamp the emotion out and merely act as if Tohru was just another friend; the fact that his roommate had only been too happy to act in the same manner most of the time had also helped. But sometimes thoughts would cross his mind, ones that would be considered wholly inappropriate for any type of friendship.

While he always did his best to derail those trains of thought before they got too far because he was often embarrassed by their course, it had become increasingly difficult in recent months. He had tried to distance himself from her for a little while during his time away from the school in May, but she had been oblivious and he'd slowly found himself being drawn back to her upon his return.

Finally, he had decided to simply let the relationship take its course. Despite the fact that he had his reservations about learning exactly what that strange warm emotion was, some part of him also wanted to find out what it was and what it meant. He had resolved to let whatever came about happen slowly, believing it would work itself out in time.

Finding out that Tohru was actually a girl should have eased his mind about the strange emotion, but it didn't. The only thing this knowledge did for Yuki was cause a large pit to form in his stomach.

It made him feel sick to know that the person he had become closest to had been deceiving him from the start. He knew that he hadn't always been completely open with her, either, but to masquerade as the opposite sex went beyond concealing select information. It made him wonder what else she had lied about…

Sighing, he slumped back on the bench he hadn't even realized he had sat down on. His head was swimming and he could feel a migraine building as he tried to figure out why she had been pretending to be a boy for the last ten months, and how she had managed to hide her true gender from everyone.

_How could she do this?_ wondered the gray-haired boy, gently massaging one of his temples. _She lied to me—to everyone… She doesn't seem like the kind of person who would lie, so why…?_

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard someone calling his name. Glancing over in surprise, he saw Hatsuharu slowly walking over to him. The younger boy stopped beside the bench, gazing down at Yuki intently.

"What do you want, Haru?" asked Yuki, his tone more scathing than he really intended.

For a moment, Hatsuharu said nothing. Instead, he just stared at the older boy, his expression rather bland and detached. Finally, he looked off into the distance, at the students who were mingling around the quad. "Hatori-sensei told me what happened when you and Kyo took Tohru-san to the infirmary, Yuki."

The gray-haired boy stiffened. The corners of his mouth tightened as he asked, "What did he tell you?"

Hatsuharu glanced over at him. "Everything."

_So, he knows, too, then…_ thought Yuki with a deep sigh. "So what are you doing here, Haru?"

"I wanted to see if you're all right," answered the black-and white-haired boy. "Sensei said that you seemed pretty upset and ran out before Tohru-san even had a chance to explain herself. I was wondering if you wanted to talk about it."

"There's nothing to talk about," snapped the older boy, glaring at his cousin. "She lied about everything. That's all there is to it."

Hatsuharu raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you so upset?"

"I'm not upset!" Yuki replied caustically.

"You _are_ upset; you wouldn't be so defensive, otherwise," retorted Hatsuharu.

"Fine, I'm upset, okay?" The gray-haired boy glowered at him. "Is that what you want to hear?"

"But why does it bother you so much?" the younger boy wanted to know.

"I don't know," grumbled Yuki, looking away. He was silent for a moment, but then spoke his thoughts aloud. "How could she do that? Why would she deceive everyone by pretending to be a boy for so long?"

"I'm sure she had a good reason," Hatsuharu told him, breaking into his wonderings. "Tohru-san doesn't strike me as the sort who'd lie if she had the choice."

Yuki was slightly irritated that Hatsuharu didn't seem half as startled by the revelation as he had been. "Doesn't it bother you?"

The younger boy shrugged indifferently. "Not really. I've always thought there was something strange about Tohru-san; now it all makes sense. I'm sure she makes a cuter girl than a boy, anyway."

Yuki blinked. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Hatsuharu smiled slightly. "I always thought she was cute, that's all."

"Only you would make no distinction between sexes," muttered Yuki under his breath.

"Is that what's bothering you, Yuki?" asked the younger boy suddenly. "Knowing that she was a girl all the time?"

"Of course that's what's bothering me!" replied the gray-haired boy. "What else would it be?"

"Maybe that's part of it, but I think there's more to it," Hatsuharu said, scrutinizing his cousin. "I think you're feeling betrayed because she didn't reveal herself sooner. But you've never really told her everything about yourself, either. Have you ever told Tohru-san what it means to be part of the Inner Circle?"

Yuki flinched. "That's different."

"Is it really?" Hatsuharu demanded.

The gray-haired boy remained tightlipped for a moment. "What're you getting at?"

Hatsuharu looked away. "Does any of this really change what you think of her?"

The older boy opened his mouth to reply, but his cousin continued before he could speak. "Tohru-san might have lied about her gender, but I don't think it was by choice. I don't think she ever really tried to hide who she was most of the time, either. Maybe she tried to act like a boy sometimes, but I have the feeling that everything else she showed us was genuine."

"Haru…" murmured Yuki, frowning deeply.

Hatsuharu didn't acknowledge that he had heard him, though, continuing instead. "Regardless of what she said to cover up herself, Tohru-san never tried to be somebody she wasn't. No matter what, she accepted all of us as her friends, even though she had to know we weren't completely honest with her, either. It's that something about her that people can't help but feel attracted to; everybody wants to be accepted."

The younger boy turned to look at his cousin again and reiterated his earlier question. "Does any of this change what you think of Tohru-san?"

It took a long moment of reflection, but Yuki slowly realized that he wasn't angry with Tohru, as he had originally thought. Rather, he was angry at the situation this had placed them in. His thoughts of her had not really changed that much. They were still a bit muddled, but he could not be sure that they would ever be clear when he was dealing with Tohru and his emotions.

Sighing, a slight smile tugged on the violet-eyed boy's lips. "No. No matter what happens, Tohru-san is Tohru-san."

"You should talk to her," said Hatsuharu, causing Yuki to glance at him. He offered his cousin a smile. "You need to talk, to figure things out."

Nodding, the other boy called out his thanks and headed back to the boys' dorm. Hopefully, he would be able to catch Tohru.

* * *

The color drained from Tohru's face as she stared numbly at the death threat painted on the bathroom door. Though the characters were slightly blurred, because of the drips created by an excessive amount of paint, the message was all too clear. For some reason, the kanji for "Red Butterfly" seemed to stand out the most. The last time she'd seen it written that way was… 

Her stomach clenched and she put a hand to her mouth. Without warning, she tore out of the room and stumbled across the hall into Kyo's room, to the bathroom there; luckily, Junji was still out, so no one else would see her. Slumping over the toilet, she barely mastered the urge to retch.

Images of that night so many months ago flooded back to her: entering the kitchen to find her mother's body lying on the floor; looking into her mother's lifeless eyes and coming to the horrifying realization that she was never going to wake up; finding the note sticking out of the kitchen cabinet that served as a death warrant. All of it came back with glaring clarity that sent her reeling.

Inhaling sharply, she finally gave in and vomited. It took a few minutes before she'd finished and composed herself enough to return to her room. Shaking, she barely found the nerve to peak around the corner as she whispered, "K-Kyo-kun…?"

Her cousin slowly turned to gaze at her. His bronzed skin was pallid, and his jaw was firmly set. One word escaped his lips: "Shit…"

Licking her lips, the girl slowly edged into the room and stammered, "What do we do now, Kyo-kun?"

Glancing back at the threat on the bathroom door, Kyo's face turned stony. "We've gotta get outta here."

"But…where can we go?" she asked in a tremulous voice.

"We'll go to Grandmother and Grandfather," he replied. "That's probably the safest place for you."

"But I thought that it was too dangerous for me to associate with the Sohmas," Tohru said anxiously. "Wouldn't it be suspicious if I suddenly went to Matsuo-san and Suzume-san now?"

"Damn it, don't you get it?" demanded Kyo, clenching his hands into fists. "Your mother's killer's found you—you can't afford to stay anywhere in the open anymore. The best place for you is with the family."

Before she knew what was happening, he grabbed her wrist and began to forcefully drag her out of the room, barely pausing to slam the door shut. "C'mon. We've gotta go see Hatori."

"But why Hatori-sensei?" she stuttered as she stumbled along after him.

"'Cause he's the best person to contact the main house and so we can get outta here," Kyo informed her. "Hurry up!"

Thankfully, there were very few people in the dormitory hallways, or in the stairwell. Most of the boys were either outside doing something or at the cafeteria, so Kyo thought that nobody would see them leave. However, when they passed through the lobby on the first floor, they met up with Yuki, who was rushing inside.

The boys almost slammed into each other, both barely skidding to a halt just centimeters apart. Tohru didn't have their luck; she banged into Kyo and stumbled back a few paces.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" demanded Kyo, glaring at his rival.

Yuki merely glared back. "I was trying to get inside. What's your excuse, you stupid Cat?"

"Why I oughtta—!" The orange-haired boy growled, letting go of Tohru and making a fist to wave in the other boy's face. Sparks flew between the boys. "What makes you think you've got the right of way, ya damn Rat! You son of a—"

"Kyo-kun!" Tohru interrupted his tirade. She gazed at him anxiously. "Please, don't fight now. We have to hurry."

"Feh," muttered her cousin angrily. Glaring at Yuki, he snarled, "You're lucky we're in a hurry, otherwise I'd kick your ass!"

Startled by the way they kept speaking of themselves as a pair, Yuki turned to gaze at Tohru in surprise. "What's going on, Tohru-san?"

"It's a long story," she said, eyes flickering away. Then she gazed at him pleadingly. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, Yuki-kun. I wasn't trying to hurt anybody, but… things just got so out-of-control…"

Her roommate's expression was unreadable for a moment. Then he told her, "We have to talk, Toh—"

"We don't have time to listen to you, Rat-boy," Kyo broke in snappishly. "We need to see Hatori and get outta here."

"What's going on?" repeated the gray-haired boy, amethyst eyes narrowing at his rival. "What are you trying to do?"

"We don't have time to explain," Kyo replied, grabbing Tohru's wrist and preparing to yank her along again. "Come on."

"Wait a minute!" Yuki stepped into Kyo's path, forcing him to stop. "Tell me what's going on, you stupid Cat!"

"Come with us!" Tohru blurted out suddenly. Both of the boys stared at her in surprise. Hurriedly, she elaborated. "If Yuki-kun comes with us, we can explain everything—and he won't be targeted!"

_Targeted?_ wondered the gray-haired boy. What was he getting himself into…?

"The damn Rat can take care of himself," snapped Kyo, glaring at his rival.

"Please, Kyo-kun," the girl said beseechingly.

After a long moment of indecision, the orange-haired boy growled in frustration. Glaring at his rival again, he muttered, "Just keep up…"

The three of them quickly hurried to the school clinic.

* * *

When the three teens turned up just as Hatori was preparing to leave for the evening, he was startled. What was especially surprising to him was the fact that the girl of the group—whose status had only been discovered earlier that afternoon—was ashen faced. 

"What's going on?" asked the doctor warily as they all stepped into his office.

"We need you to get a hold of somebody at the main house," Kyo told him abruptly. "We have to get there as quick as possible."

Hatori frowned until understanding dawned on him. He glanced at Tohru. "They've found you then, Honda-kun?"

"Yes," she answered before she truly realized what he was saying. As realization hit her, she stared at the doctor in disbelief. "But how did you…?"

"Quite a few people are aware of your status, Tohru Honda-kun," Hatori informed her as he pulled a cell phone from his pocket. "We've been keeping you under surveillance for some time."

"B-but Yuki-kun didn't know!" stammered Tohru in confusion.

"The adults of the Inner Circle, I mean," he clarified as he dialed. "The only thing we weren't aware of was the fact that you're a girl."

Blushing slightly, Tohru looked down at the floor as Hatori turned away from the teens and quietly spoke to the person on the other end of the line. She glanced at Yuki who stared back quizzically. Before she could open her mouth to say something, though, the doctor finished his conversation and glanced back at the teenagers.

"Your ride should be here shortly," Hatori informed them. He glanced over at Yuki. "I assume you've somehow been roped into this as well?"

"You could say that…" Yuki said slowly as he stared at Tohru.

Hatori turned to the girl again. "I'm sure you realize that the situation has escalated, Honda-kun. If they've been able to track you here, you probably won't be safe anywhere."

"But how could they have found me?" Tohru felt tears stinging her eyes. She covered her face with her hands. "I tried to be so careful! I really did, Hatori-sensei!"

"Tohru-san…" The girl looked up as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She saw Yuki standing beside her with a kind expression. "You did very well. If you were able to hide yourself for this long—from everyone—you're a very good actress. It's not your fault."

"But how _did_ they find her?" muttered Kyo under his breath. "Damn it, we did everything to hide her!"

"Sometimes even your best efforts aren't enough," Hatori said sagely.

An uncomfortable silence elapsed. It was broken when Hatori and Kyo began to discuss how they knew Tohru had been discovered. Tohru and Yuki didn't participate in the conversation, though. They quietly held each other's gazes. There was so much they each wanted to communicate with the other, but neither was willing to break the hush that fell over them.

The spell was broken when Hatori announced, "Your ride's here."

"Let's get going," Kyo said, gazing at his first cousin.

_I wonder who Matsuo-san and Suzume-san sent,_ thought Tohru as she and the boys quickly filed out of the doctor's office. They probably would not send Kensuke, because he worked exclusively for Matsuo—but who knew at what they would do at this point? Everything was falling down around Tohru; she didn't know what to expect of anything anymore.

The girl was actually somewhat relieved when she discovered that the person who had been sent to pick them up wasn't Kensuke, but rather Nozomu. As the trio passed him and entered the car, the blond driver offered her a sad sort of smile. She returned it and climbed into the backseat behind Yuki; Kyo crawled in next to her and Nozomu quickly shut the door.

The car ride was rather short, but painfully quiet. Each occupant was left alone to mull over his or her own thoughts as they tried to process everything that was going on. Only the occasional glance at each other (or glare, in the case of the boys) broke their internal examinations.

While Kyo pondered what they were going to do next, and Yuki wondered exactly what was going on, Tohru reflected on the events of the last few hours. How could everything be collapsing so quickly? All of her secrets had been poured out, and now she was running from Kyoko's murderer again.

_Could I have done something differently?_ she wondered for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. _If I hadn't agreed to play soccer with Kyo-kun, Yuki-kun, and the others, would I have been able to keep everything a secret? Would Mom's killer still have found me?_

Her internal debate drew to a close as Nozomu announced their arrival. After the driver opened the door, Yuki climbed out and offered Tohru a hand. She silently took it and hoisted herself up and out. Kyo followed shortly.

Nozomu quietly led them through the maze of inner houses to Matsuo and Suzume's home. They stopped just outside, and the driver carefully slid the door open. He stared at Kyo and Tohru in particular. "Matsuo-san and Suzume-san are expecting you. They should be in the living room."

This time, there was no Kensuke to lead Tohru into the inner sanctum, and no Goh to ease her mind about the atmosphere. Steeling herself, she quietly thanked Nozomu and entered the house, with Kyo and Yuki only a few steps behind her. As they reached the end of the corridor, she slowly slid the shoji open.

She could see the forms of her maternal grandparents sitting on the sofa. The elderly couple turned slightly at the sound of the door opening. Her breathing hitched and she paused in the doorway.

Matsuo glared back over his shoulder, apparently not at all receptive to her hesitation. "Don't just stand there—come in."

Kyo gave her a slight shove, causing Tohru to stumble inside. Yuki carefully slid the door shut behind them. The teenagers slowly walked around the couch so that Suzume and Matsuo could better see them.

"It's good to see you again, Tohru-san," Suzume greeted the girl with a smile. "I'm only sorry that we couldn't meet again under more pleasant circumstances. It seems that we only get to see you when you're in danger…"

"Thank you for allowing me to stay with you again, Suzume-san." Tohru bowed deeply to her grandparents.

"You're our grandchild, Tohru-san. We couldn't do any less," replied the woman. "Perhaps this turn of events will allow us to treat you as you should have been in the first place."

Matsuo was not interested in listening to the conversation of his wife and Kyoko's child. His gaze was fixed on Yuki. Warily, he demanded, "Aren't you Sachiko's boy?"

Yuki stiffened at his mother's name. His voice was icy as he replied, "I suppose you could say that, but I prefer not to be associated with _that_ woman…"

"Yuki-kun was my roommate while I was at Sohma Academy," Tohru hurriedly explained. "We thought it might be best if he…came with us…"

"How fitting," grunted Matsuo. "At least you should have been safe with him." He didn't seem to notice that the Rat was unconsciously clenching his hands into fists, or that his lips were drawn into a thin line.

Without waiting for a reply, the elderly man turned to Kyo. "What were you doing all this time? Shouldn't you have been protecting him?"

"I couldn't be with Tohru twenty-four/seven," snapped the boy irritably, crossing his arms over his chest. "That would've compromised matters even more."

"I'm sure you did your best, Kyo," Suzume told her grandson, glaring slightly at her husband. Then she turned to Yuki as well, her gaze softening. "Thank you for staying with him as long as you have, Yuki-san. We appreciate your help in protecting him…"

Tohru swallowed hard as she realized that Hatori hadn't properly explained _everything_ to her grandparents. Licking her lips, she gazed at the elderly couple. "Matsuo-san, Suzume-san, there something I really should tell you…"

Her hesitation to finish the statement prompted Matsuo to glare at her slightly. "What do you want to say? Out with it, boy!"

Kyo's lips twitched slightly at the irony of his grandfather's statement and what his cousin would undoubtedly say next. _This should be good…_

"I think that you should know," Tohru slowly said. "I'm a girl…"


	13. The Secret Order of the Twelve

**Author's Note:** Ack! Has it really been...(looks at last updated date)...four months since I last updated? O.o Damn, that's _**way**_ too long. I guess my waning interest in Furuba is to blame for that (that, and a lack of inspiration/motivation/time)—so sorry!

I _do_ still plan to finish the story, for anyone who's still reading this (insert chirping crickets SFX here). I just have to find the motivation to write the rest of the epilogue. Maybe it'll come to me as I finish editing the last few chapters in between my other stories and studying for upper level courses. (I should really be studying for a Business Law test right now, but instead I'm doing this -.-; —guess that tells you where my priorities are right now. :sighs:)

Anyway, thanks to **Adi88, Winter's Light, littleduck, Kurenai Chinoumi, blueflamesofsadness, jiaen, susie202, DarkAnimePriestess, **and **sphinx** for the reviews. As always, they add fuel to the fire.

I know that some people (at the beginning of the story) were interested to find out how the Chinese Zodiac fits into this story. Well, by the end of this chapter, you should have an answer. (Coincidentally, you might want to go back to Chapter 2 for a little refresher after reading this, if you don't remember what "the Jūni" is exactly .)

So, without further ado, I bring you Chapter 13.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters. I just own the ones that appear solely in this story._

* * *

**Shôjo Fukuzai**

**Chapter 13: Jūni no Himitsukessha**

Suzume and Matsuo blinked at their brown-haired grandchild's statement. For a long moment, no one said a word or even breathed. Matsuo finally broke the silence.

"_What!"_ roared the man.

As he continued to splutter angrily, his wife burst out laughing.

Matsuo glared at his wife. "Damn it, woman, it's _not_ funny!"

"Yes, it is," retorted Suzume, not even bothering to hide the mirth in her voice. "You were already planning Tohru-san's future, and _she's_ turned it all on its head."

"Eh?" Tohru glanced between her grandparents, brows furrowed. What sort of plans would Matsuo have been making for her future?

"I was trying to help the boy with—" Matsuo's auburn eyes flickered in his granddaughter's direction as the incongruity of the statement struck him. He quickly revised it. "I was trying to assure a secure future for our daughter's child. I wanted things to be better this time…"

Suzume's good-humored expression darkened visibly, but she quickly masked it with an impartial gaze. "I know, Matsuo."

The older woman then turned to Tohru. She offered the girl a cordial smile as she said, "Please forgive my outburst, Tohru-san. But you must understand that this news is a bit…shocking, to say the least."

"I understand, Suzume-san," replied the girl solemnly, bowing her head. "I wasn't trying to deceive you. But Grandpa—my dad's father—thought that it would be more difficult for Mom's killer to find me if I pretended I was a boy…"

Yuki's brows shot up at this revelation. Suddenly, so many things made so much more sense to him. Why she had hidden herself—and why she had been lying for so long. The pain in her voice made him realize it hadn't been easy for her to lie to so many people for so long.

"We understand, Tohru-san," Suzume assured the girl. "After all, we forced a similar idea upon you by having you to take on our family name. It is also understandable that Honda-san would want to do everything in his power to ensure your safety. Your well-being is one of our primary concerns as well."

Tohru looked up and a watery smile lit her face. "Thank you, Suzume-san."

The moment between the girl and her grandmother was broken when Kyo suddenly asked, "Could we get something to eat? I'm starving."

"Don't you have any manners at all, you stupid Cat?" Yuki said coldly.

The orange-haired boy turned to glare at his rival. "Don't tell me you're not hungry, Rat-boy. There's no way you had time to eat before we left!"

"That may be, but at least I have the manners not to say anything," retorted the gray-haired boy. "You could at least have waited for a more appropriate moment to ask about filling your stomach."

"Who the hell asked you!" hissed Kyo, holding up a fist. "You couldn't boil water without burning it, ya damn Rat!"

Yuki arched an eyebrow. "You can't burn water…"

"Yeah, well—if there was a way, _you'd_ find it!" rejoined the Cat, though his insult lacked a scornful edge for a deficit of assuredness.

Tohru bit her lip as she watched her cousin and her school roommate bickering. She had gotten so used to it at school, she had all but come to accept it as a simple part of their relationship; however, now that they were standing before her grandparents, she wondered if maybe she should step in to stop them.

The girl distinctly thought she heard Matsuo grumbling under his breath about "damn teenagers," and she was about to make an attempt to intervene when Suzume said, "It's fine."

Everyone's heads snapped to the gray-haired woman. She smiled slightly as she added, "Matsuo and I have already eaten, but I'm sure we can persuade Niko-chan to make something for you three."

"Niko-chan-san?" wondered Tohru aloud.

"Nikoko Sohma, their cook," Kyo told her.

"She's also Nozomu-san's wife," added Yuki.

"Eh?" Tohru blinked at this information. Though she supposed it should not have been all that surprising that Nozomu would be married, the knowledge that his wife worked for Matsuo's family startled her.

* * *

The girl briefly had the chance to meet the brown-haired, gray-eyed cook, and found her to be a rather pleasant person. Only the fact that she was extremely quiet and seemed a bit standoffish caused Tohru to wonder about her. However, it had been her experience that few of the Sohmas were very outgoing when it came to new people.

After dinner, Matsuo and Suzume asked to speak to Tohru privately. Kyo and Yuki both excused themselves, so as not to interrupt. Sitting alone with her maternal grandparents in the living room, Tohru swallowed hard and gazed at the elderly couple.

Taking a deep breath, she quietly asked, "What will happen now?"

Matsuo leveled a gaze at her. "Since Kyoko's murderer has obviously found you, you will stay here until we can decide upon another course of action. We haven't been able to make any headway in discovering the identity of the killer. Unless we can find something out by examining this new development, you won't be allowed to leave the compound."

Tohru lowered her teal-blue gaze. "I understand. What about my…?" She blushed slightly, uncertain of how she should approach the next topic.

Suzume understood immediately. "It would be of little use to keep your gender a secret anymore, Tohru-san. Even if Nozomu-san was able to keep your arrival low-key, it's possible that some of the gossipmongers have already begun to circulate stories concerning you. We'll leak some of the more pertinent information, but hopefully we can keep most of it concealed.

"If it makes you feel better, we will have Honda-san send some of your clothes to us so that you have something to wear," added the woman. "We'll inform him of the circumstances, so that he doesn't feel he has to keep up this charade."

The girl's heart skipped a beat at the thought of getting in contact with her paternal grandfather. "C-could I talk to Grandpa…?"

"No," Matsuo said abruptly, causing her to flinch. "It would be unwise."

Suzume glared slightly at her husband before softening her gaze as she turned to her granddaughter. "Perhaps we could give him a message for you, though."

There were so many things Tohru wanted to say to Akitoki, but all of them flew from her mind as she attempted to put them into words. Finally, she gazed at her grandmother steadily and said, "Tell him…I'm okay, and that I love him. And…to tell Hana-chan and Uo-chan that I'm all right…"

"'Hana-chan' and 'Uo-chan'?" repeated the woman, her violet eyes reflecting confusion.

The blue-eyed girl gave her a watery smile. "They're my best friends. I just hope they don't think I've forgotten about them…"

"I'm sure they would never think that, Tohru-san." The older woman smiled knowingly. "You'll have to tell me about your friends sometime."

"Yes," agreed the girl, her smile growing. "That would be nice…"

* * *

A few hours later, Tohru could be found sitting on the porch outside her grandparents' house. In her hands she held a can of orange juice that she periodically took sips from as she stared up at the stars. Softly, she murmured, "It's so clear out tonight…"

Staring at the heavens reminded her of the times she and Kyoko had attempted to stargaze on their apartment balcony. It had been almost impossible most of the time, with all of the bright city lights that blocked out the stars in nighttime sky, but it had been fun to try. The only times they'd had any success had been during a few camping trips in the country.

A slight smile played on the girl's lips at the memories, but it almost immediately faded as her heart suddenly clenched. She lowered her gaze and stared down at her drink. _Mom… It seems like my life is starting to spin out of control again. This time I don't have to hide myself so much, but…somehow that doesn't comfort me…_

Tohru could feel the tears that were forming in her eyes. Reaching up with one hand, she scrubbed a few away before they could slide down her cheeks. Though she knew that nobody would hold it against her for crying now that they knew she was a girl, it seemed silly to be crying about something that had happened almost a year ago (even if it was still burned into her memory).

_Mom wouldn't want me to cry for her anymore,_ thought the girl. _She would want me to make new, happy memories with the people around me. And I want to—I really do. I want to make Mom happy, and to be happy. But even still, I can't…_

"Tohru-san?" a soft voice asked, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked up to see Yuki standing in front of her, wearing a concerned expression. "Are you all right?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine!" Tohru replied with as much cheer as she could muster. She reached up and scrubbed at her eyes again. "I just…got something in my eye!"

Chuckling at the old ploy, the gray-haired boy shook his head. "It's a little late to play that card, Tohru-san…"

"Eh? Oh, it's nothing like that, Yuki-kun. I was just—" The girl cut herself off as she realized that her school roommate was gazing at her intently. Feeling a little self-conscious, she tightened her grip on her drink as she asked, "Is something wrong, Yuki-kun?"

To her amazement, a small smile formed on his lips as he told her, "It's just strange to see you wearing a skirt after all this time…"

Tohru glanced down at herself, as if startled by his statement. She had changed out of the hand-me-downs she had been borrowing from Saburo for the past ten months and into some of her own clothes that Kensuke had picked up from Akitoki (thankfully, they still fit). Though she was glad to be wearing her favorite cobalt skirt and pink tee, it felt a little strange after almost a year of wearing boys' clothes.

"But you look nice," added Yuki, hoping that he hadn't insulted her. A slight blush pinkened his cheeks as he thought, _Haru's right—she looks better as a girl…_

Heat filled Tohru's cheeks as well at the compliment. Looking down at her drink, she stammered, "Thank you…"

An awkward silence filled the air between them. Only after a long moment did Tohru turn back to look at the gray-haired boy. Gesturing to the space beside her on the porch, she asked, "Do you want to sit down…?"

"All right," he agreed slowly, sitting down beside her. However, he was careful to leave at least half a meter of space between them. They sat together and quietly stared up at the sky for a few minutes.

The girl sneaked a glance at her school roommate again; when he turned slightly, she looked away. She wanted so badly to patch things up with Yuki—to explain why she had been forced to lie and masquerade as the opposite sex in more detail—and he seemed more than willing to meet her halfway, but the words refused to come. Though the direct method would probably be the easiest, she wanted to broach the subject.

Sighing heavily, she glanced over at Yuki as she quietly began, "Y-you said…"

"Mm?" The boy turned slightly at her words.

Tohru took a deep breath and started again. "Back at school…you said that you… wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Yeah," he answered quietly. "I wanted to talk about…things…"

The girl lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, Yuki-kun. I wasn't trying to hurt anyone. It's just that…I had to keep secrets from you and everyone else, and to lie…"

"I'm not mad at you, Tohru-san," Yuki said, smiling slightly. "I understand why you did it. You have nothing to apologize for. Everyone has secrets that they keep from the world. Yours was…just a little bigger than some peoples'…"

"It hurt so much to lie to everyone," she confided, playing with the pop-top of her drink. "I've never been very good at it. I'm surprised I was able to keep it up as long as I did, really…"

The boy smiled wryly. "I guess most people are so wrapped up in their lives, they don't want to take the time to read between the lines and tend to believe whatever they're told or want to think. Few people see what's really there. They're cognitively lazy…"

Tohru turned back to Yuki. "Are you sure you're not mad, Yuki-kun?"

"I'm not," he assured her. Then he looked away and sighed in frustration. "It's just…I didn't know what to think when I found out you're a girl. I still don't know what to make of everything. It's happening so fast—too fast…"

He turned to her again. "Maybe it would help if you explained all of this. You mentioned something about hiding from your mother's killer before…"

Pain reflected in Tohru's teal-blue orbs as she thought back on her mother's murder. As if sensing her discomfort, Yuki quickly told her, "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, Tohru-san…"

"No." Tohru was surprised by the certainty of her own reply. "I need to… It's time I talked about it…"

With that, the girl released all of the pain and suffering that had been festering inside of her for almost a year. She told him about finding Kyoko's body on the kitchen floor of their apartment; her grandfather's plan to have her pretend to be a boy; her chilly reception as she met her mother's family for the first time; the guilt she'd experienced as she constantly lied to people around her, even as she befriended them; the grief she felt about not being able to properly mourn her mother's death. All of it came pouring out, and once she started, it seemed she could not stop.

Slowly, her words turned from the pain of losing Kyoko to some of her happiest memories of her mother. She told him about watching the sunsets with her mother; going on camping and the amazing feeling of watching the stars come out; playing Rich Man, Poor Man with Kyoko, Arisa, and Saki; simply talking to her mother about anything and everything. It seemed to cleanse her wounds, and she felt surprisingly better afterward.

Yuki couldn't help smiling as he listened to Tohru speak reverently about Kyoko. "Your mother sounds like a wonderful person, Tohru-san. I'm sorry you lost her."

"She was wonderful," agreed the girl softly, smiling as well. "I miss her, but she's always here with me. I'm sure that wherever she is, she's looking out for me."

Then, she hesitantly turned to her school roommate and asked, "What about your family, Yuki-kun?"

His smile faded and she saw the corners of his mouth tighten. "I'm not on the best terms with anyone in my family…"

Tohru looked away. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. It was rude of me."

"Not at all," he told her, causing her to glance over at him cautiously. He gave her a strained smile. "After all, you told me about your mother. It's only fair I tell you something about my family, right?"

Sighing, he looked up at the sky as he tried to find the right words to describe his family. "My parents aren't exactly the most…loving people in the world. The only ones they seem to love are themselves. My mother is the worst. She sold me into the Inner Circle when I was little for her own gain."

Tohru gasped. _Poor Yuki-kun…_

"She did it to gain more standing within the family," he explained, amethyst eyes icy. "My father didn't care one way or the other, I don't think. But they did the same thing to Niisan, so I suppose I shouldn't take it personally. They just didn't want to be parents, unless it would help their status…"

_How could any parent do that to their child?_ wondered the girl, feeling tears building in her eyes. Kyoko had always been a loving mother, doting on her child for as long as she could remember; even Katsuya had been affectionate with Tohru, from what she remembered. The thought that any parent would abandon their child—for any reason—pained her.

"But a lot of people involved with the Inner Circle have a similar story," Yuki added with another sigh. Then he turned to look at her again. "As long as I can rise above it, I won't fall victim to the vicious cycle. I want to be strong enough to do that."

Even though Tohru had no idea what it meant to be part of the Inner Circle, she admired Yuki's audacity to want to rise above his past. Smiling slightly, she murmured, "I want that, too…"

Wordlessly, Yuki reached out and twined their fingers together. Though they had not really talked anything out about their current situation, it didn't seem to matter. It did not bother him that he hadn't sorted out any of his emotions concerning Tohru, or that they had not discussed the progression of their relationship. Somehow, at that moment, just being together was enough.

* * *

After a restless night's sleep, Tohru hoped the day would be less nerve-wracking; her grandmother had suggested the night before that they spend some time together, and she hoped that getting to know the older woman would provide a distraction. However, as she sat down to breakfast with Matsuo and Suzume, admiring the delicious-looking meal Nikoko had laid out for them, her grandfather dropped a bombshell.

"Akito-san has asked to see you this morning," Matsuo told the girl, gazing at her with hard red-brown eyes.

The girl blinked at the name. She distinctly thought she had heard it mentioned once or twice before, but it didn't ring any bells. "Who is Akito-san?"

"He's the head of the Sohma family," Suzume explained quietly, breaking her chopsticks apart.

"He said that he wants to discuss certain matters," added her grandfather cryptically. "Kureno-san will be coming by to take you there later."

Tohru's stomach fluttered at the thought of meeting the head of the Sohma family. What kind of person would Akito be? Why would he be interested in meeting someone like her? What would he want to talk about?

Suddenly she wished that Yuki and Kyo were there. Then, perhaps she could have asked them these questions she was certain would seem rude to either of her grandparents. However, Kyo had gone to stay with Kazuma the night before, and Yuki had taken his leave sometime early in the morning to "take care of some business." It seemed that neither of the boys were going to be around in time to answer her questions.

Tohru spent the rest of the meal picking at her food while her grandparents ate wordlessly. As soon as they were finished, Nikoko came back to clear the table. Despite the cook's insistence that it was her job to take care the dishes, the girl said that she wanted to help; it provided a suitable distraction while she waited for Kureno to arrive.

Nikoko seemed to notice Tohru's preoccupation as they washed and dried the dishes, respectively. Handing the girl a bowl, she quietly inquired, "Is something bothering you, Tohru-san?"

"I was just wondering why Akito-san would want to talk to me," murmured the girl distractedly. She paused in her drying to gaze at the cook questioningly. "What kind of person is Akito-san, Niko-chan-san?"

Nikoko blinked at the question, but quickly smiled at the girl's nickname for her. Softly, she assured the younger woman, "Akito-san's not as terrible as you might think, Tohru-san. I think you'll be surprised when you meet him. He's really…"

Anything else she might have said was cut short when Suzume suddenly ducked inside the kitchen. She gazed at the two and said, "Niko-chan, I'm afraid I must steal Tohru-san away from you for a while. Kureno-san is here for her."

"Of course, Suzume-san," Nikoko said, smiling. "We were almost finished anyway."

Tohru carefully placed her dishrag on the drying dishes and bowed hastily to the cook before exiting the kitchen. She found Matsuo and a tall stranger—a redheaded, auburn-eyed man she could have sworn she had seen somewhere before—speaking quietly on the porch. Both men turned slightly at her arrival.

While the girl was trying to place the newcomer, Matsuo informed her, "This is Kureno-san. He will take you to meet with Akito-san."

Remembering her manners, she quickly bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kureno-san."

"It's nice to finally meet you properly, Tohru-san," Kureno replied, smiling slightly. "You might not remember, but we met once before…"

The girl finally remembered where she had seen the redheaded man before. Gasping, she blurted, "You were the one outside Hatori-sensei's office when I first arrived at Sohma Academy, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was," he agreed. "I think you might know my half-brother as well."

"Half-brother?" she wondered aloud, brows knitting.

"Yes. His name is Naruto Oishi," Kureno told her.

Tohru's eyes widened at the revelation. Naruto was related to the Sohmas—more specifically, Kureno? No wonder she had seen him briefly during her visit to the Sohma estate during Sanga-nichi. Well, that was one mystery she could put to rest…

She was slightly startled when Kureno gestured her along. "Now, we really must be going. We shouldn't keep Akito waiting…"

"Yes…" Tohru turned and bid her grandparents farewell before following Kureno out. He led her through the maze of houses inside the compound until they reached one of the innermost homes. It was not particularly lavish, but it was larger than many of the other houses. She decided that it must have been Akito's home.

Kureno instructed Tohru to wait on the porch until he announced her arrival. He slipped inside, and she could hear a muffled exchange between Kureno and the head of the family. Tohru's heart pounded in her ears as anxious thoughts swirled around her brain. However, when the redheaded man stepped back outside to tell her she could go in, all sounds stopped and all thoughts ceased.

Feeling a strange combination of numb and nervy, she slowly walked inside. The girl paused to remove her shoes, leaving them on the mat beside the door. As she crept forward, she wondered how close she was allowed to get to someone who was as obviously important as Akito Sohma. Deciding that it would be best to give him a wide berth, she only strode a few paces inside before kneeling in the middle of the room.

Tohru could make out the figure of someone sitting outside on the porch looking out into what appeared to be a garden of some sort, one finger extended as a perch for a beautiful white bird. He kept his back to her, though, making her sweat in anticipation. Licking her lips, she wondered if it would be rude if she tried to initiate the conversation.

However, before she could even think of something to say, Akito softly said, "So, we finally meet, Tohru Honda-san."

Tohru did her best to bow in her kneeling position. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Akito-san."

"Likewise, I'm sure, Tohru-san," intoned the head of the family. "I understand that Matsuo-san's plan to hide you away at Sohma Academy has fallen through. You will be staying here, then."

"Yes," agreed the girl. "Until Matsuo-san and Suzume-san are certain that it's safe for me to leave. Then—"

"I don't think you understand me, Tohru-san," Akito interrupted her. He moved abruptly, startling the bird on his finger into flight. "You cannot leave."

The girl got her first good look at the head of the Sohma family. He was not the _Godfather_-like figure she had expected. Rather, he looked as though he was in his early twenties, with blue-black hair and steel-gray eyes. His thin frame was clad in a simple white yakata, cinched at the waist with a purple obi, and a patterned hanten draped around his shoulders. Nevertheless, he made for an imposing figure.

"What…?" stammered Tohru, swallowing hard.

"Nobody can escape Sohma house—we're too steeped in our sins," replied the head of the family. He narrowed his gray eyes. "Even someone like you, who has barely scratched the surface of our lives, has been exposed to too much to ever truly escape."

"B-but my mother left…" Tohru protested feebly.

Akito laughed cynically. "Your mother was a fool to believe that leaving the compound meant she had escaped. She should have known better than anyone that attempting to bargain for her freedom would lead to her undoing. Her blood was too strong to let her escape. She might have believed you would go untouched by her past, but fate drew you into our fold as well. And now you have also been immersed in our sins, without even realizing it, simply by associating yourself with members of the Inner Circle…"

There was that terminology again—Inner Circle. Tohru had heard it mentioned numerous times in the past twenty-four hours by many different people. Licking her lips, she decided to find out what it meant once and for all. "W-what is the Inner Circle, Akito-san?"

Akito arched an eyebrow at the question. "No one ever told you?"

"Hatori-sensei—and Matsuo-san, and Yuki-kun—they mentioned it, but they never explained what it was…" the girl told him.

The head of the family smirked. "Well, I suppose it's only fair that you know, seeing as you've befriended so many of the members…"

_Yuki-kun said that he was a member of the Inner Circle, and Ayame-san, too,_ Tohru thought, remembering the conversation she'd had with her school roommate the previous night. _And Hatori-sensei said something about being one, too, didn't he? He said that the Inner Circle had been watching me closely—does that mean that Kureno-san is also a member?_

"Have you ever heard of the Jūni, Tohru-san?" asked Akito.

A sense of dread washed over Tohru at the question she had heard almost ten months ago from the police detective after her mother's murder. "Yes…"

"Everyone who is a member of the Inner Circle is a member of the Jūni," said the head of the family. "Many of the people you've met—Hatori, Momiji, Kisa, Yuki—they're all members of the Jūni."

Tohru felt her heart stop. _Yuki-kun is one of the Jūni…?_


	14. More Sohma Secrets

**Author's Note:** A new chapter for a new year (ha, ha). Jeez, I've really been lax about keeping this thing updated, haven't I? T-T

I honestly _do_ plan to finish this thing, but it's taking me so long to finish off the rough edges. My Furuba muse seems to have taken a permanent vacation, so I'm going solo on this one most of the time. Don't get me wrong, I still keep up with the manga and stuff; I just don't have much of a desire to read much Furuba-related fiction. I read a few here and there, but it's pretty limited.

Not sure how much time I'll have to work on this story (which is like pulling teeth for me), with some of my other stories (which I've never gotten around to posting) and the class load I have this semester (not to mention other problems the damn university is giving me lately...). Rest assured, I **do** have the last chapter finished--I just don't like the way I wrote it. Hopefully, I'll get around to rewriting it and finishing the epilogue.

I hope that you find this chapter was worth the wait.

Just a **warning** to those not familiar with the later chapters of the Fruits Basket manga: there is a **major spoiler** contained herein, **about ****Akito**.

As always, thanks to **vintage, Adi88, jiaen, SaphirePhoenix, LittleAssassin, Twilite, Phorcys, **and **Kurenai Chinoumi** for their reviews. They always make me feel like posting the chapters is actually worthwhile.

Without further ado, on with the chapter.

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the world of Furuba. I only own the characters nobody's ever seen anywhere else._

* * *

**Shôjo Fukuzai**

**Chapter 14: Hoka no Sohma no Himitsu**

"But perhaps that is not the best description," Akito supposed, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Anyone you've met who is still attending Sohma Academy is actually in training. It will be several months, or years, before they are ready to take on their roles as members of the Jūni. The Jūni and their successors, those are the members of the Inner Circle."

"I—I don't understand," stammered Tohru, choking on her words.

"I suppose I should explain things in greater detail, hmm?" The head of the family was silent for a moment, as if attempting to think of the right words. "The Jūni are trained from a very young age. Most of them are chosen by their predecessors, but some are 'given' to the Inner Circle to fill empty spots…"

His words dredged up memories of her conversation with Yuki the night before. The gray-haired boy's words echoed in her head. _"My mother…sold me into the Inner Circle for her own gain when I was little…to gain more standing within the family… They did the same thing to Niisan…"_

"Despite the fact that the name implies twelve members, there are actually thirteen," added Akito, interrupting Tohru's thoughts. "Their name is derived from the legend of the Chinese Zodiac—the Jūnishi. The Rat, the Ox, the Dragon, the Rabbit, the Boar, the Cat—they're all used as designations. I think you might have heard them mentioned by the Inner Circle members…"

Tohru had, indeed, heard some of the names before. Suddenly the monikers she'd heard Yuki and Kyo exchanging as insults over the last ten months made sense. _So Yuki-kun holds the position of the Rat, and Kyo-kun is the Cat…?_

"I'm sure you've also heard stories about the workings of the Jūni—don't believe them," Akito told her. "The Jūni aren't cold-blooded assassins hired out to the highest bidder; they're much more select than that, and their scope of talents is much broader. It's true that they do sometimes work as assassins, but they also act as bodyguards at times."

"Did my grandparents ask them to watch over me?" wondered Tohru aloud before she could stop herself.

Akito glanced over at her and smirked a bit. "No, Matsuo-san and Suzume-san had nothing to do with that. It was actually my idea to have them keep you under surveillance. Now I'm glad I did."

"But why, Akito-san?" the girl wanted to know. "I'm nobody important…"

"You intrigued me, for some reason," answered the head of the family, shrugging a bit. Then he smiled surreptitiously. "And I think I've figured out why…"

"Eh?" Tohru stared at him in confusion. "Why?"

"It mustn't have been easy to hide your true sex from everyone," said Akito, seemingly changing the subject. "It must have bothered you at times…"

Lowering her eyes, the girl responded, "Yes…it hurt to lie to everyone about so many things. I'm surprised they never noticed before…"

Akito smirked. "Most people are too stupid to see anything contrary to what they've been led to believe. They simply take it for granted that nobody ever really fits every aspect of the stereotypes made for men and women. People are cognitively lazy that way."

Tohru's brows furrowed. "Yuki-kun said that, too…"

"That doesn't surprise me." The head of the family chuckled slightly. "He and I have talked about it once or twice before. Besides, the Sohmas aren't strangers to a people masquerading as the opposite sex. There are a few cross-dressers in the family already…"

Why did Tohru have the feeling Akito wasn't simply talking about Ritsu? Barely aware of what she was saying, she could hear herself asking, "What do you mean, Akito-san?"

"Very few are aware of my status as anything besides the head of the family," Akito told her cryptically. "However, I thought that it would be amusing to speak to you myself, one cross-dresser to another."

It was a long moment before realization sank in for Tohru. As it did, her teal-blue eyes grew impossibly large as she sputtered, "You mean—you're a woman?! But everyone says…"

"That I'm a man?" asked Akito, chuckling derisively. "Of course they do. It's all they've ever been told. Only a select few—including members of the Inner Circle—are aware of the truth. Everyone else believes I'm a man."

"But…why would you pretend to be a man?" Tohru stammered.

"It was my mother's idea, not mine," Akito informed her coolly. "She simply couldn't take the risk that one of her daughter's sons might become the head of the family."

"Eh?" Tohru was completely flummoxed.

"The head of the family must always be male—it's a long-standing tradition," said Akito by way of explanation. "Because my older sister already had a son, my mother was afraid that, when my father died, she would lose the power she held over the family, even though the boy had already been made part of the Inner Circle. To ensure that she could maintain her influence, that stupid woman attempted to get pregnant again, so that she could produce a male heir.

"When I was born, she was sadly disappointed." Akito's tone was scathing. "But she refused to allow this to affect her plans. She lied to everyone, and made them believe that I was a boy. I'm sure Sachiko was only disappointed that she wouldn't be able to raise herself within the family hierarchy by possibly having a son to be Akira's heir. She always was a social climber—and her husband is the same way…"

Tohru's eyes widened as she remembered Matsuo's question to Yuki the night before: _"Aren't you Sachiko's boy?"_ Gazing at the head of the family steadily, she asked, "Sachiko-san is your sister? So, does that mean you're…Yuki-kun's aunt, Akito-san?"

"Most would call me his 'uncle,' but I suppose that would be the proper term, considering," Akito said dryly. "Perhaps you can see the resemblance; I'm told we look quite alike sometimes…"

The girl nodded numbly, seeing that there was a slight resemblance between Akito and her school roommate. Her mind was swirling with questions as she stared at the head of the family. However, only one could be elicited from her lips: "Why are you telling me all this, Akito-san?"

Akito smirked. "I told you, I wanted to talk to you, as one cross-dresser to another. I thought it might be amusing to see your reaction if I revealed the truth."

"But why did you tell me about the Jūni?" Tohru wanted to know.

"It only seemed fair that you know, considering how deeply involved you have become with…certain members," the head of the family told her, her expression growing solemn. "You've become more immersed in the family than you will ever know, Tohru-san."

"Isuzu-san said that I shouldn't be friendly with the true Sohmas because I'm from the Fringe," the girl said.

"Isuzu never knew when to keep her mouth shut," snapped Akito, eyes narrowed. "You have integrated yourself too well to be considered on the Fringe any more. Your fate is too tightly interwoven with ours to ever be untangled. That's why you can never truly leave…"

Tohru felt a chill race down her spine. For the first time, she wondered if she would have been better off if Akitoki had never contacted the Sohma family…

* * *

Once her meeting with Akito was over, Tohru returned to Matsuo and Suzume's home; she discovered it had been overcome by organized confusion. There were strange men and women milling around the living room and kitchen, all chatting about something that she apparently wasn't supposed to hear, because they quickly quieted when they noticed her arrival.

Almost immediately, it was explained that her grandfather was busily helping to organize a search for the murderer who would no doubt be tracking her and he could not be bothered with such trivialities as talking with her. However, her grandmother seemed happy for the distraction the girl's return to the house brought.

"We'll just go into the library while they work," Suzume had told the girl as soon as the situation had been explicated. "That way, we'll be able to talk. Perhaps you could tell me about these friends you mentioned last night…"

As soon as they were in the library, Tohru began to tell her maternal grandmother about Arisa and Saki. She told her about the first time she met the girl her mother had affectionately dubbed "Uo-chan" upon their first meeting, her history as a gang member, and how she had turned her life around and left her gang with Kyoko's help. Then she spoke of her first meeting with Saki—whom Arisa quickly christened "Hana-chan"—and how they became friends, despite the horror stories that circulated about her past.

Suzume was a bit confused by the explanation of Saki's abilities. "So you mean to say that Hanajima-san is able to read a person's 'electric waves'?"

"Yes!" Tohru's head bobbed up and down. "Hana-chan can tell almost anything about a person just by reading their waves. She says it's somewhat like reading an aura. Her brother, Megumi-san, has the ability to put curses on people."

The older woman blinked her violet eyes, slightly put off by the description of a boy named Megumi—of all things—who had the ability to curse others. Then her expression morphed into a small smile as she took in the sight of her granddaughter's face. The girl looked happier than she had ever seen her, and positively glowed as she explained her friendships; Tohru obviously loved these people, despite their flaws.

_Not that we're ones to judge others,_ mused Suzume with a wry smile. _We have far too many sins to our names to cast stones at those who have slight peculiarities._

Softly, she remarked, "You must love your friends very much, Tohru-san."

"I love them with all my heart," Tohru replied, smiling more.

"You should never let go of their friendships then, Tohru-san," Suzume advised. "True friends are difficult to find. You must always cherish them."

"Mom used to say that, too," the girl told her grandmother, her smile growing thoughtful. "She also told me that the ones we care about are the ones who give us the courage to keep on living, despite all of the bad things that happen in our lives."

The woman was surprised that Kyoko would have repeated something Suzume had told by her. Suzume's daughter had always been a model child, the epitome of what every Sohma was taught to be, and though she had often expressed her displeasure, she had never gone out of her way to disobey her parents. There had only ever been one exception…

Then Suzume quickly realized that perhaps she should not have been so surprised. After all, she had raised her children to be what she hoped would be good people with a strong sense of morality and honor (even if the traits might have seemed a bit out of place in their family's line of work). Kyoko had never been a terrible person; it was no wonder that she would have raised her own daughter to have a sense of integrity and respect.

"It sounds as though Kyoko-chan always had a pearl of wisdom to share with you," the elderly woman chuckled.

"Mom always gave the best advice," agreed Tohru readily. Her face fell a bit as her thoughts turned to her mother once again.

Taking in the expression on the girl's face, Suzume decided to broach a subject that she had been meaning to bring up. Carefully, she picked up a photo album that was sitting on a nearby table and said, "You were very close to your mother, weren't you, Tohru-san? You must miss her terribly…"

Tohru lowered her eyes. "Mom wouldn't want me to be sad. She'd want me to remember all the good times we had together and move on with my life. That's why I have to keep going—so that I don't disappoint her. She always did so much for me, so I have to repay her by doing this."

Wincing a bit, Suzume realized that perhaps Tohru's mother complex was stronger than she had originally thought. Placing a hand on her granddaughter's, she told the girl, "Tohru-san, you cannot go on living for your mother."

"Huh?" Tohru stared at her grandmother in confusion and felt a stab of distress.

"You must live for _yourself_," the older woman said. Smiling slightly, she added, "The only way Kyoko-chan would be disappointed is if you tried to live your life for any other reason. Your mother refused to allow anyone to dictate her destiny. That's why she left Sohma house in the first place…"

The girl felt her blood quicken at the statement. Did this mean that Suzume was going to tell her why Kyoko had left the Sohma family in the first place? Was she finally going to know what had caused a fall out between her mother and Matsuo?

Taking a deep breath, she asked, "What do you mean, Suzume-san?"

Instead of answering, Suzume began to leaf through the photo album in her lap. She stopped to smile reverently at one in particular—the last one taken of the entire family before Kyoko left—and gently traced her daughter's face. Tohru frowned deeply and began to wonder if she had gotten her hopes up for nothing.

Then she heard the woman softly say, "Kyoko-chan was never a disobedient child, but she often spoke out when Matsuo believed she had no place to. That's why they were never very close. However, there was only one time when she found the gall to defy her father—and it cost her dearly."

Tohru swallowed, but said nothing. She didn't want to interrupt now that she was finally about to learn why her mother had left the Sohma fold.

"It started about twenty-two years ago," Suzume began, gazing down at the photographs in the album. "Your mother had fallen in love with one of her teachers, Katsuya Honda-san." She paused when Tohru inhaled sharply. "She was only seventeen at the time, and your grandfather believed that she was too young to be involved with Katsuya-san, even though he was only a few years older than her. He forbade her from seeing him, but she would sneak out anyway.

"However, during the summer of her senior year in high school, Kyoko-chan told Matsuo that she wanted to leave the family to start a life with Katsuya-san. Needless to say, he was livid," the woman said, sighing. "Your grandfather had spent so much time building a life for his children, and he believed she was trying to throw it all away. He struck a bargain with her: he would let her leave if she gave up something that had a value equal to that of the freedom she sought."

"I don't understand, Suzume-san." Tohru frowned at her grandmother's paused in her speech. "What could Mom possibly have given Matsuo-san as an equivalent to her freedom?"

A shadow crossed Suzume's face. In a soft voice, she told the girl, "Kyoko-chan gave your grandfather something that he believed she would never give up: her child."

Tohru was almost certain that her heart stopped beating at those two words. Her teal-blue eyes almost tripled in size as the meaning sank in. _Mom…had a child before me? But…why would she give up her own child? Was her freedom that important to her? Could she have really been that heartless…?_

"You see, that was part of the reason your mother wanted to leave the family," Suzume said, startling the girl. "She had discovered she was pregnant and hoped to raise her child away from the influence of the family. She said that she didn't want her child to be immersed in sin. Matsuo believed that she wouldn't have the audacity to give up her child in exchange for escape from the family.

"I told him it was ludicrous, but he refused to listen. He was certain Kyoko-chan's love for her child would override her desire from freedom." The woman closed her eyes. "But apparently her freedom was so precious to Kyoko-chan that she was willing to pay any price. She willingly stayed within the compound until after the birth of her child before she left. I know it broke her heart to do it, but she refused to be held down. I think she convinced herself that she would be able to make a better future for any other children she had by being away from the family."

A sob the girl hadn't even known was building caught in her throat as the pinpricks of tears built behind her eyes. Swallowing the thick lump in her throat, she wondered how any mother could willingly leave her child. Moreover, how could _her_ mother—the woman who had shown more compassion and love than anyone she had ever met—have been so selfish as to do something so appalling for such a stupid reason?

_Why would she do something so cruel?_ the girl wondered, her head spinning. Tears streaked down her face, but she made no attempts to wipe them away. _How could she give up the very reason she was trying to escape in the first place? Couldn't she have just left without their permission?_

Suzume could only imagine what emotions were swirling around her granddaughter's mind. Gently, she gathered the girl up in her arms. She softly told her, "Don't judge your mother too harshly, Tohru-san. Kyoko-chan was desperate to escape the Sohma family; she never wanted any part of our 'activities.' She often said she wanted to be a normal person. And I'm sure she hated herself for doing anything to hurt someone so important to her…"

Tohru released a ragged breath, closing her eyes against the tears that refused to stop. Leaning heavily against her grandmother, she released some of the pain she had been unable to share at her mother's funeral. She whispered words of pain and grief at the discovery of her mother's self-centeredness and her loss simultaneously, things she hadn't been able to share with Yuki because he had never met Kyoko.

Before long, Suzume was crying as well. The two women rocked together, acting as a sort of mutual support for the loss of a person who had been very important to both of them. Suzume spoke of how much it had hurt to lose her daughter at such a young age, and to know that her husband's foolishness had caused the family to splinter so effectively.

Eventually, their tears ebbed and they began to slowly regain their composure. Only when Tohru was sure her voice would not betray her by breaking in the middle of a word did she dare to ask the single most important question in her mind regarding her mother's first child: "What happened to the child?"

"She remained within the family." Suzume carefully wrapped an arm around her granddaughter's shoulders, holding her close, as she quickly flipped through a few pages of the photo album. She gestured to a picture of a beautiful baby with a mat of dark hair and vibrant violet eyes. "There—that's your older sister."

The girl stared down at the picture in awe. It was hard to believe that the child in the photograph was supposed to be older than her. It was even more difficult to believe that Tohru had never even met the person who should have been as important in her life as her own mother.

"And here's a few others." Suzume pointed to another photo, this time of a girl with long brown hair that was just a few shades darker than Tohru's own. She was probably somewhere around seven or eight, and looked a great deal like Tohru had at that age. Beside it was another picture of the same girl as a young teenager, smiling in a way that was exceedingly familiar.

"She's very beautiful," the girl murmured. "She has Mom's eyes."

"She does look a great deal like Kyoko-chan," agreed Suzume quietly. "You have many of your mother's features as well, but I would say you take more after Katsuya-san."

"Mom always said that, too." Tohru turned to her grandmother. "What ever happened to her, though? Why haven't I met her?"

Her grandmother stared quietly at the pictures for a moment. Then she said, "Matsuo couldn't bear the sight of your sister after she was born, knowing that she represented everything he had been working to prevent. It was also troubling to know that the baby had been born out of wedlock. Despite this, Matsuo wanted to be able to keep an eye on her without being directly associated with her.

"She was shuffled around by numerous foster families within the Sohma fold, but Matsuo always made sure to keep a tight rein on her." Suzume's grip on the album tightened. "He never allowed her to become settled in any of the foster homes, and constantly reminded her that she couldn't be allowed to make any of the mistakes Kyoko-chan had. But she seems to be relatively well-adjusted. She's off attending college now."

"Really? What's she studying?" Tohru wanted to know.

"Nursing, at Tsujitani Women's College," Suzume answered, her expression brightening considerably. "She always was an exceptionally gentle girl—it suits her. I think she's interning at Sohma Academy right now…"

A cold feeling of dread began to creep into Tohru's stomach. Even though she was almost certain she knew the answer to her next question, she could not keep it from escaping her lips: "What's her name…?"

"Kana," replied Suzume. "Your grandfather did not want to put much thought into her name, so he chose something simple. She always told me that she wanted to be named 'Megami,' though, because her name was so plain."

Whatever color might have been left in the girl's face quickly drained as she heard the name she had been hoping to avoid hearing spoken. How could it be that Kana Sohma was actually her sister?

Was that why she had always been so ill-at-ease around Kana, she wondered. Had she been able to sense—on some instinctive level—that there was some sort of connection between them? She remembered hearing stories in the past about how meeting a long-lost sibling for the first time sometimes caused a person to feel uneasy around them. Perhaps that was why Kana had always caused her to feel a bit anxious, despite her cheerful kindness.

_Did Kana-san know about Suzume-san and Matsuo-san's plans? _wondered Tohru. _Was that why she always seemed to go out of her way to be so nice to me? Or was it just a coincidence?_

The girl had so many questions swimming around in her mind about why Kana had always shown her such kindness. But there was something about the entire situation that did not set right with Tohru—something that stuck out glaringly as she digested the information. She couldn't help thinking that the connection she must have realized she'd had with Kana should have made her more comfortable to be around, not unnerving. So why was it she still couldn't help getting anxious when she thought about Kana?


	15. You Will Pay For My Sadness!

**Author's Note:** Well, it took me six months, but here it is--the final chapter of _Shôjo Fukuzai_!

I'm sorry for anyone who's actually been waiting for this to come out (though I'm sure nobody's reading this anymore T-T).

I hated the way I ended it in my first draft, so it took me about six months to think of a suitable rewrite. I'm sure it'll leave most readers less than satisfied, but believe me when I say that it's actually a hell of a lot better than the first ending--which will _never, ever_ see the light of day if I have anything to say about it.

For anyone who's interested, I finally got around to posting a picture of what Tohru should look like during this story in my DeviantArt scraps, which can be found at http:// www. deviantart. com/ deviation/ 58420084/ ; as with most links that FFNet seems to hate, just take out the spaces where necessary. If that doesn't work, let me know and I'll put a link in my bio.

I'd like to thank all of the readers who have stuck with me since I stared posting this story a little over two years ago (though I'm not sure there are any left). A special thanks goes out to **AznXFuyushi**, **Kurenai Chinoumi**, **Miharu Kawashi**, **luckymoonboy1**, **Angry Girl**, **Adi88**, **SaphirePhoenix**, and **jiaen** for their reviews on the last chapter. They gave me the strength to actually finish up this chapter.

Barring the epilogue (which I still have to write...), this story is essentially finished. When I get the motivation to write the epilogue itself, rest assured that it will be posted.

Now, on with the chapter.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters. I only own the characters nobody's ever seen anywhere else._

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* * *

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**Shôjo Fukuzai**

**Chapter 15: Kono Kanashimi o Tsugunatte Morauzo!**

Three days passed, and Matsuo and the others were unable to find any clues that could lead them to Kyoko's killer. It seemed that everyone's worst fears had been confirmed: the trial had gone cold.

Though this weighed heavily on Tohru's mind, she found herself consumed by thoughts of the older sister she had never known she had. It sent her into a spin, trying to discern how her mother could possibly have kept Kana's existence from her. But she could not hate Kyoko for any of the things she had done to ensure her freedom, though it did dismay the girl.

It had simply never been in Tohru to think the worst in people, and she refused to believe that her mother had done anything she hadn't thought was necessary for the greater good. After all, she reasoned, Kyoko had probably believed that her parents would give their granddaughter the best care possible. Why would she have suspected that they would mistreat her child?

Something else that bothered her was the fact Kana hardly matched any image the girl could conjure of a person who had been fostered for a better part of her life. She had always seemed so happy; though Tohru supposed some people could overcome such obstacles with fewer visible scars, she couldn't help wondering how the woman had been able to turn out so normally, considering her upbringing.

As she finally began to convince herself to ignore the uneasy feelings that always seemed to take root at the mere thought of Kana, she found that the idea of having a sister greatly appealed to her. After all, the woman was everything anyone could have wanted in a sister: kind, considerate, and incredibly affable. Tohru only hoped that Kana would consider having a relationship with her; she knew they would probably never be as close as sisters who grew up together, but perhaps they could at least be friends.

To her absolute delight, her grandmother encouraged the idea. It seemed that Suzume wanted her two oldest granddaughters to be like the sisters they were, even if the relationship was tentative at best. However, when she voiced the idea to Kyo—who had tried to tell her about her relation to Kana at New Year's—she was startled to find that he was adamantly opposed.

The look he gave her at her declaration was somewhere between incredulous and panic. "Have you lost your mind?! I've seen how you get around Kana—you can't wait till she leaves. What the hell made you suddenly decide you want to be buddy-buddy with her?"

Tohru bit her lip self-consciously. All of the things Kyo was saying had crossed her mind more than once. However, she was certain that she could overcome the uneasiness Kana caused her with time and effort. After all, they were supposed to be sisters; learning to be friends was the least they could do.

Turning to her cousin, she softly told him, "Kana-san is my sister, Kyo-kun. I want to get to know her better."

"Why is it so damn important that you get to be friends with that woman?" Kyo demanded.

She gave him a pleading look. "Because Kana-san should have been one of the most important people in my life. I have to close the gap between us."

Her cousin stared at her for a long moment, wearing a look that could only be described as probing, as if he was trying to read more deeply into her words by gauging her expression. Then he turned away with a sigh. "I don't think it's such a great idea for you to get close to Kana. She's always been kind of…off."

Tohru frowned deeply. "What do you mean? Kana-san seems like a wonderful person, Kyo-kun. She's so kind and considerate with everyone. Even when I was uncomfortable, she was extremely nice to me."

"Kana's like that most of the time," admitted the orange-haired boy warily. "But there's something not right about her. You can't tell me you haven't noticed."

Tohru bit her lip again and lowered her eyes, troubled. Then she looked up and softly said, "But…she's so kind…"

"You're fighting your instincts," Kyo argued pointedly. When he took in her pained expression, he sighed irritably. "Look, all I'm saying is that there's something about Kana that sets you off. You shouldn't force yourself to be around her if it bothers you so much."

"But I want to get to know Kana-san," Tohru told him softly. "She's my sister."

Kyo stared at her for a moment, his face set into a scowl. Then he turned and began to stalk toward the door.

Startled by his abrupt movement, Tohru asked, "Where are you going, Kyo-kun?"

"I'm not gonna stand here and argue with you about something this stupid," he replied, turning slightly. "You've already made up your mind about Kana; I can't do anything to stop you."

Confusion raced across her face as she stammered, "But Kyo-kun…"

He slid the door open and started to walk out. Then, glancing back at her last time, he said, "Just…be careful." With that, he left and quietly slid the shoji shut behind him.

Tohru stared after him for a long moment, a pang of grief tightening her chest. Slowly, her eyes fell to the portrait of Kyoko that she had been clutching to her chest. Lifting the picture frame, she gazed at her beloved mother's face and whispered, "Mom…what should I do…?"

* * *

Tohru was still contemplating her conversation with Kyo later that evening. It troubled her that her cousin did not approve of her decision to get to know Kana better. He was the closest confidant she had within her mother's immediate family, and the fact that he had warned her away from the woman only served to deepen her anxieties. 

She had considered discussing the matter with her grandmother, but Suzume seemed a bit too close to the matter to give any impartial advice; she had once again expressed her joy that both of her daughter's children might get to know each other as sisters just as the girl pondered the idea, effectively negating any further contemplation of it.

While Yuki had also been considered as a sounding board, she felt that the subject would be (more than) slightly inappropriate; he had difficulty dealing with his own brother and she did not want to bring up such a sensitive topic—especially one that she sensed was to be kept within the immediate family, anyway.

Her grandfather and the rest of her mother's family were seemingly oblivious to her plight, and she did not think that they would want to be burdened with her worries.

As a result, most of her reflection on the issue was done silently within the confines of her own mind. Only the periodic interruptions of visits from some of her friends at Sohma Academy—primarily, Momiji, Hatsuharu, and Kagura—and spending time with her grandmother broke her concentration. However, as night fell, it seemed that she would soon have precious few distractions to intrude on her thoughts.

"I am sorry that you will be alone while I'm gone," Suzume told Tohru, slowly pulling on her shoes at the door. She paused to give the girl a considerate look. "Are you sure you do not want to come with me, Tohru-san?"

Tohru quickly waved her hands. "Oh, no! I couldn't impose on Ren-san by coming over without any notice. It would be rude…" (What she did not say was that, after learning how far Ren Sohma had been willing to go to maintain at least partial control of the family through Akito, she was somewhat hesitant to be around the woman.)

Suzume frowned slightly but decided not to press the issue. "All right, Tohru-san, if you're certain. I should only be gone for a few hours, but if you need anything, feel free to contact Kyo or Naosuke."

The girl nodded her understanding. She knew that her uncle and cousin would be available to help her, but she did not want to bother them unless it was absolutely necessary. They had their own lives to live and she still felt like she was intruding on her mother's family, despite the fact that Suzume had repeatedly told her that she should think of their home as her own. To Tohru, though, "home" always had been and would forever be the apartment that she had lived in with her mother.

"Your grandfather will most likely be gone for some time," added the older woman as she slowly opened the door. "But Kyo said that he would be over to check on you around eight-thirty. If you need anything, be sure to call him. Kazuma-san's number is by the telephone."

"Yes, Suzume-san," acknowledged the girl, her smile widening slightly. Her grandmother seemed so much like Kyoko at times that it made her feel that her mother was still with her.

"You really shouldn't be so formal with your grandmother, Tohru-san," teased Suzume lightly, a smile brightening her face.

"Suzume…obaasan?" rearticulated the girl hesitantly.

Her grandmother nodded her approval. "That sounds much better. I will see you later then, Tohru-san."

"Goodbye, Suzume-obaasan," Tohru called after the older woman softly. She watched as Suzume stepped outside and shut the door behind her. After a long moment, she slowly made her way to the living room, glancing briefly at the stack of books sitting on the side table.

Suzume had been encouraging her to keep up with her schoolwork, despite everything that had happened over the past few days. After all, her grandmother had reasoned, once everything had been sorted out and summer break was over, the girl would be returning to Sohma Academy to finish her high school education.

Truthfully, though, Tohru was uncertain whether she _wanted_ to go back to Sohma Academy; she feared that her new, non-Sohma friends would not be accepting of the fact that she had lied about her gender for as long as they had known her, and wondered if it would not be better to transfer back to her old high school. This prospect was also a double-edged sword, though.

If she returned to Kaibara High School, she would get to be with Arisa and Saki again, but by the same token, she would not be able to be around Yuki, Kyo, or any of her other new friends from Sohma Academy anymore. There was absolutely no way she could win.

Perhaps it would be best to simply let her mother's parents decide after all, she mused with a sigh. They (Matsuo) seemed to be planning her for future already; she was sure that they (Matsuo) would overrule any pleas she might make, anyway.

_I hate to be such a burden,_ the girl thought as she slowly sank down on the couch. _Suzume-san—Suzume-_obaasan_—says that they should have made more effort to be there for me from the beginning, but…it feels wrong to let them trouble themselves with planning for my future. I should be the one planning everything, not Mom's family, but I just can't seem—_

A steady pounding suddenly penetrated the haze of self-doubt clouding the girl's brain. Blinking dazedly, she turned as she realized that there was someone knocking on the front door. She slowly made her way toward the door, wondering who it could be. No one in her mother's family would have bothered to knock, and she had not been expecting anyone.

Carefully sliding the door open, she was stunned to see the person standing on her grandparents' porch. "Kana-san…?"

"Tohru-kun?" Kana stared at Tohru with wide violet eyes, apparently equally surprised to see the girl in the doorway.

A wave of uneasiness threatened to swell in Tohru, but she quickly drove it back. She had wanted to talk to Kana for the past few days and the opportunity had finally presented itself. Although the conditions might have been better, the girl was not about to let her best chance to confront her sister slip away.

Despite her resolve to use this encounter to her advantage, though, she found herself at a loss for words. Not that she had ever really imagined what their first meeting as sisters would be like, but even the questions and conversation topics that had fleetingly crossed her mind escaped her. So, instead of making the impression she would have liked, she could only gape at Kana.

Eventually, it occurred to the girl that she was being terribly rude. Blushing lightly, she quickly stepped aside. "Ah, I'm so sorry, Kana-san! Would you like to come in?" She gestured Kana inside.

"Yes, thank you." The young woman smiled faintly and slowly entered. Slipping off her shoes by the door, she glanced around expectantly. "Are Grandmother and Grandfather here?"

The conversation was so normal—almost too normal for Tohru's taste—that it only served to add to the girl's growing discomfiture. However, she refused to allow her uneasiness to show (any more than it already was). Forcing herself to be nonchalant, she shook her head. "No, Suzume-obaasan and Matsuo-san will be out for a while."

"Oh." Kana seemed slightly disappointed.

"But," Tohru added hastily, "Suzume-obaasan should be back in a few hours. If you'd like to come back then, I'm sure she would be happy to see you, Kana-san."

Kana brightened slightly as she focused on the girl again. "Actually, Tohru-kun, I came here to talk to Grandmother about you. Would it be okay with you if we just talked instead?"

Tohru felt her heartbeat quicken at the question. She knew she should have been thrilled for the opening Kana was giving her, considering her determination to get to know the older woman, but it only served to twist the girl's stomach into knots. However, she quickly convinced herself that it was only her excitement peaking.

"O-of course, Kana-san," stammered the blue-eyed girl, forcing a bright smile. "Let's go into the living room, where it's more comfortable."

"That sounds good," agreed Kana, smiling a bit more genuinely.

The young women wordlessly made their way into the living room and seated themselves in the opposing chairs on either side of the sofa. They stared at each other for a long moment, both expectant but neither willing to make the first move. The silence was deafening.

As the tension became more and more palpable, though, Tohru felt compelled to cut through it. Clearing her throat, she quietly asked, "So, what do you want to talk about, Kana-san?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing. I was so worried after I heard that you'd disappeared from the campus," Kana told her in concern. "I thought that Kyoko-san's killer might have gotten to you, too."

Tohru was sure that her heart stopped. _Kana-san knows about the murderer? But Grandmother said…_

"You have no idea how relieved I was when I learned that you were safe with Grandmother and Grandfather," the violet-eyed woman added.

"B-but how did you know…?" Tohru asked brokenly.

"Hatori-sensei told me everything after you left the clinic," Kana answered, smiling gently. "I called Grandmother as soon as I could and she confirmed it. I only wish they had told me earlier. Then I might have been able to help you…"

The girl breathed a sigh of relief. So Suzume had not been lying when she told Tohru that Kana knew nothing about what had been going on. "It's all right. You couldn't have known, Kana-san."

However, she quickly froze as something else occurred to her. If Kana knew about everything that had happened, did that also mean that she knew about their relationship…?

"Does that mean you know that we are…?" Tohru trailed off, biting her lip.

"That we're sisters?" Kana finished for her. She smiled knowingly. "Yes, Grandmother told me that as well.

"That was part of the reason I came over tonight," confessed the woman. "Grandmother asked me to come, so that we could talk about everything that's been happening."

The blue-eyed girl frowned deeply. "Suzume-obaasan never said anything before she went to visit Ren-san…"

"Grandmother is not really very close friends with Ren-san," Kana told her. "She wanted this to be a surprise and probably went away to give us time talk alone." Her smile widened. "We really shouldn't disappoint her by wasting it, Tohru-kun."

Tohru smiled as well, feeling a genuine warmth building in her chest. "No, we shouldn't."

"But it's so stuffy in here," declared the violet-eyed woman suddenly, startling the girl as she abruptly stood. She smiled down at Tohru. "Why don't we go outside to talk somewhere? That way we won't waste this beautiful night, either."

"All right," agreed the girl excitedly, standing as well. "Just let me get a jacket and then we can—"

"You don't need a jacket, Tohru-kun," Kana interrupted. "The weather is gorgeous."

Tohru wondered at the logic, considering that Kana was wearing a light jacket. However, she quickly dismissed it and headed for the door. After carefully slipping their shoes on, the two young women quietly left Suzume and Matsuo's house.

As Tohru and Kana exited the compound through the main gate, Kureno pressed the button on his two-way radio. "I think this is it…"

* * *

Tohru and Kana walked a few kilometers, until they reached a clearing in the forest that surrounded the estate. The violet-eyed young woman had led them there, claiming that it was a favorite spot from her childhood for thinking whenever she needed to get away. When they arrived, Tohru could easily see why Kana loved it so much. 

"It's beautiful here, Kana-san," breathed the girl, looking around. She turned to Kana with a serene smile. "It's so peaceful; I can't even hear the traffic anymore."

Kana returned the smile. "I love the quiet—that's why I still like to come here whenever I can." A hint of nostalgia flickered in the young woman's eyes as she added, "It almost seems like you're the only person in the world when you're here…"

"Yeah," agreed Tohru quietly, her chest inexplicably tightening.

The young women stood in silence for a moment before the girl softly told Kana, "I've never really liked to be alone. I used to have nightmares about everyone leaving me when I was little, after Dad died. I think…that's why I was so afraid after Mom was…murdered."

"You were afraid because you didn't want to be alone?" the older woman asked, mild surprise flitting across her face. "You weren't the least bit concerned that Kyoko-san's killer would be coming for you next?"

"O-of course," protested Tohru quickly. "I was terrified! But losing Mom was even more frightening. I was afraid that I would be alone forever. But when Matsuo-san and Suzume-obaasan sent me to Sohma Academy, I began to make friends with Yuki-kun and the others—Kyo-kun, Momiji-kun, Hatsuharu-san, Horigome-kun, and Arakida-san. I realized that I didn't have to be alone if I didn't want to be…"

For a long moment, Kana regarded the girl silently, her expression a strange mixture of consideration and something else Tohru could not identify. Then she slowly lowered her head so that her bangs covered her eyes. "You know something, Tohru-kun? I don't think that I like to be alone, either."

Kana wrapped her arms around herself. "But, in my experience, it's always been better to be alone…because then nobody can hurt you…"

Tohru felt a stab of guilt in her chest as she remembered the sort of upbringing Kana had endured. She vowed to do everything in her power to solidify their relationship as sisters, to ensure that Kana never felt that she had to shut anyone out to protect herself.

Smiling tentatively, the girl told the woman, "You don't have to be alone anymore, Kana-san. I'll always be here for you, no matter what…"

Tohru could just make out the wan smile lifting the corners of Kana's mouth as she considered the girl's words. "You never cease to amaze me, Tohru-kun. You're always willing to accept people at face value; you never read between the lines of anything. That's what I like about you…"

A chill suddenly raced down Tohru's spine. Though she knew she should have been flattered by the woman's words, something about her voice—the eerie tone—washed away the ease the girl had been feeling around Kana. Her apprehension heightened as she saw the woman slowly reaching into her jacket for something. _What is Kana-san—?_

"I've always liked you, Tohru-kun," added Kana softly as she slowly pulled the object out from under her jacket; it clicked softly. "But now that I know the truth, I wish we had never met…"

Tohru paled as she suddenly found herself staring at a small handgun. Eyes wide in fright, she instinctively took a step back. "K-Kana-san…?"

Kana's smile widened, but her bangs continued to shield her eyes from view. "Do you have any idea how much I want to hate you, Tohru-kun? Before I ever met you, I hated you more than words can describe. But now that I know you, I can't bring myself to hate you the way I did; I like you too much… Maybe that's what they mean by a love-hate relationship, hmm?"

"I-I…" the girl stammered, unable to form a coherent thought, much less a sentence.

"You poor thing; you don't even understand what's going on, do you?" The woman chuckled humorlessly. "Well, I suppose you deserve to know before you die…"

Dread washed over Tohru as she came to a chilling conclusion. Inhaling sharply, she gasped, "You…you're the one who killed Mom!"

"That's right," Kana agreed, still smiling. "I killed Kyoko-san."

"But why?" whispered the girl numbly. "She was your mother, too! Why would you kill her?"

"Because she abandoned me," the woman told her coldly. "She left me so that she could be with that man. I was so worthless to her that she was willing to give me up to be free from the family!" The emotion in her voice built up until she was shouting.

Tohru bit her lip hesitantly before she started to say, "Kana-san, I'm sure Mom never wanted—"

"Shut up!" Kana's head suddenly whipped up and she stared at the girl with wild violet eyes. She held up the gun, aiming at the younger woman as she moved forward. "You have no idea what it was like to be shuttled between foster families who never wanted me. I was always an outsider, no matter what I did; I was never good enough for Grandfather, but he refused to let me go. He never accepted me.

"And it's all because of that woman!" raged Kana. "That's why she had to die!"

"Kana-san, I…" The pinprick of tears stung Tohru's eyes as she unconsciously backpedaled. Her mind was locked in a dizzying tailspin; nothing made sense anymore.

The woman laughed maniacally. "It was so easy, once I found her. Can you believe that she actually tried to _apologize?_ That's why I made sure she died slowly—so she would know that she could never make up for what she did to me.

"I was going to kill you the same way, Tohru-kun, because you had everything I was denied." Her expression briefly softened. "But then I met you… I had no idea who you were, at the time, and I started to get to know you. You were so kind to everyone, even if they didn't really deserve it, and I began to like you.

"Then I learned the truth…" The rage returned to her eyes as she stepped closer to the retreating girl. "I hated the fact that you made me like you. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it wasn't really your fault. I decided that, because you're so kind, you deserve a quick death—so that you don't suffer any longer than necessary."

Tohru choked on a sob as her back suddenly made contact with a tree. Her legs finally buckled and she found herself kneeling on the ground. Tears streaked down her face as she looked up at the woman, whispering, "Kana-san, please, don't do this!"

"I can't let you live," murmured Kana, a faraway look in her eyes as she trained the gun on the girl's forehead. "I'm sorry, Tohru-kun, but I can't let you keep hurting me…"

The blue-eyed girl watched in horror as Kana pulled back on the trigger. As the loud crack of a gunshot filled the air, Tohru screwed her eyes shut, ducked her head, and screamed.

However, she soon realized that she was still very much alive. Blinking, she turned to stare up at Kana.

The woman's eyes were wide and hollow in some semblance of shock. Wordlessly, she reached over and touched her right shoulder. Lifting her fingertips, she stared at them; they were covered with a dark, sticky substance—_blood,_ Tohru thought distantly. It was already starting to seep through her shirt and onto her jacket, staining the fabric a dark crimson.

Kana's eyes slowly drifted from the bloodstained digits to the girl who still knelt on the ground before her. Eyes glassy, she swayed slightly and her grip on the gun slackened; then, very suddenly, she fell forward.

"Kana-san!" Tohru instinctively reached out with a gasp, catching the older woman before she could hit the ground; the gun landed beside them in the grass with a dull thud, all but forgotten. Quickly looking Kana over, she determined that the shot to the woman's shoulder had not been lethal, as her chest continued to rise and fall. Relief flooded through her despite what had just happened.

"Tohru-san, are you all right?" asked a familiar voice, causing the girl's head to jerk to the left. To her amazement, she saw Yuki, Kyo, Kureno, and Kyo's father standing a few meters away.

Wordlessly, Tohru's uncle moved forward and extracted Kana from the girl's arms. Tohru watched as Kureno helped Naosuke carry the young woman away. She could only wonder what they were going to do with her.

"Are you all right, Tohru-san?" The sound of Yuki's voice reiterating his earlier question caused the girl to snap back. She quickly realized that he was kneeling beside her, concern evident as his purple eyes swept over her, searching for any signs of injury. "You weren't hit, were you?"

"N-no, I'm okay," she assured him, her mind still numb from confusion. "But what're you…?"

Kyo knelt on her other side, gazing at her intently. "Akito thought that your mother's killer might have been somebody in the family, so he ordered Kureno to keep you under surveillance. When you left with Kana, Kureno called for backup."

_If it weren't for Kureno-san and the others, I would be dead,_ realized Tohru, swallowing hard. Trembling, she wrapped her arms around herself and began to sob for everything she was worth while the boys awkwardly attempted to comfort her. A single coherent thought formed in her mind: _It's finally over…_


End file.
